Parallel
by SanadaSayuri
Summary: Quatre was different from the other Pilots, and not because of his Empathy. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover how little they know their beloved blonde. GWNaruto Xover KakaNaru Implied 1x2 3x5 Kaka04 Treize04
1. Prologue

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

Summary: Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over SasuSaku KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Prologue

Summer

5:03 PM, _Konohagakure no Sato, Hi no Kuni_

The day was quiet, the sky was a clear azure and sweet winds blew from the north, carrying the fresh scent of the mountains and forests, of the lakes and oceans, and of the coming autumn as the birds sang in the trees and from the rooftops and phone lines. Looks can be deceiving, and Chaos reigned in the land, the streets of the majestic city ran red with the blood or friend and foe alike. The five faces carved in the mountainside looked over the city, watching as the children grew and took the places of those who came before them, were smeared with blood and was darkened with the ash of the ever burning fires. The streets were covered in corpses, and the walls were piled high with the dead of both the city's defenders and attackers.

It was a temporary lull in battle as the enemy had been beaten back and had retreated to regroup while the city's defenders moved the dead, destroying the corpses with high powered Fire Spells. The ninja of the Hidden Village in the Leaf breathed freely for a time, but whereas there was normally a relaxed tension during which the civilians were allowed to leave the safety of the shelters to allow the children and elderly to stretch their legs, and for the capable adults to set to work doing what they could to clean the city, the streets were silent, and an air of gloom covered the Ninja Village.

Not long before the battle had ended, seven of the Village's best Ninja had vanished, their beloved _Hokage _amongst them. The prodigal son of the late disgraced White Fang, Copy-Ninja Hatake Kakashi who had been the student of the late _Yondaime Hokage_, the _Sannin_ Jiraiya, Heiress of the Hyuuga House, Hyuuga Hinata and her cousin in the Branch House, Hyuuga Neji, Academy Teacher Umino Iruka, Haruno Sakura of Team 7, whose _Jounin-Sensei_ was Hatake Kakashi and the second Apprentice of the _Godaime Hokage_, and the _Godaime Hokage_, Tsunade herself.

A strange _Jutsu_ had been cast by the Orochimaru, the leader of the Hidden Village in the Sound, and after the technique's completion, the seven Ninja had vanished. The only person who would have been capable of repelling or reenacting the _Jutsu_, though no one realized it, the Vessel of the_ Kyuubi no Yoko_, one Uzumaki Naruto, on whose naval resided the _Shiki Fuuin_ which sealed the Nine-Tailed Fox, had left the village for a mission, and had only arrived after the battle's end.

At the moment, the golden haired _Jinchuuriki_ stood in the Council Chamber within the _Hokage no Dairi_ before the thirteen Council Elders of Konoha.

"We desire for you to take Tsunade's place as Hokage," one elder said.

"For twenty years we have watched you, and it has been determined that the _Kyuubi_ incarnate you are not," said another elder.

"Your actions seem brash and foolish, but you think things through and while we see ten possibilities, you see two hundred," said a third elder with the pearl white eyes of the Hyuuga Clan.

"Will you lead us as _Konohagakure no Sato's Rokudaime Hokage_?" asked another elder.

Naruto bowed. "I would be honored to become the _Rokudaime_, Elders," the blonde said.

"Your inauguration will take place first thing tomorrow then," said a fifth elder.

Naruto bowed again when the Elders dismissed him and he vanished in a puff of smoke.

The newly appointed _Rokudaime_ was the only person in _Konoha_ who knew the connection between the seven missing Ninja. They were all people who were precious to him. His hands clenched into fists, and his eyes narrowed.

Orochimaru would pay…

Winner Estate, Belgium, Earth

4:00 A.M., April 23, 197 A.C

Quatre Raberba Winner, also known as Gundam Pilot 04, had always known that he was different from other people. It wasn't simply his Empathic abilities, but the simple knowledge that he was not all that he seemed, for once, in his previous life, he had been a shinobi. He had not been just any shinobi; he had been the Sixth leader of a Ninja Village, a _Kage_. He had been a _Jinchuuriki_ and the vessel of the Nine-Tailed Fox, the _Kyuubi no Yoko, _the child known as Uzumaki Naruto. Even now, countless millennia and reincarnations later, the seal containing the _Kyuubi_ still appeared whenever he channeled or molded his _chakra_.

In an era where modern day shinobi relied on firearms more than on _kunai_ or _shuriken_, the few throwing knives or throwing stars that he could find were of substandard quality. Even the few _katana_ and _tanto_ that he could acquire lacked the strength, functionality, and balance of the weapons he had been used to wielding in his previous incarnation.

He had borrowed Wufei's katana once, and had been surprised to find the blade to be of good quality, though not to the high standards of the blade he himself had once wielded. He had been even more dismayed when he found that while treasured and cared for, the blade had not been taken care of properly. The golden haired teen had returned the katana to the dark haired pilot with a thick file detailing the _proper_ care of a katana and a stern warning that blades of high quality were difficult to come by in the current age, even with his family's vast resources, so the Chinese pilot had best take good care of the blade.

A sudden flare of _chakra_ from the northern portion of the estate caught his attention while he had been in the gazebo, going through the paperwork of WEI. The blonde carefully capped the pen and closed the file, placing a crystal paperweight on the stack of papers, saved the files on his laptop and shut it off, and stood up. A Maganac who was nearby promptly collected the papers and laptop and vanished toward the mansion while another Maganac followed the Winner as he left the area.

Little did he know that his current life was about to be impacted by his previous life…


	2. Fickle Fate

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

Summary: Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over SasuSaku KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

A/N: Happy Birthday to me! Today, I am officially 18, and since I'm in a good mood, here's an update for you all! V

Chapter 1: Fickle Fate

Summer

2:00 PM, _Konohagakure no Sato, Hi no Kuni_

Orochimaru waved Kabuto aside, and began to prepare the seals. Outside, his Sound Four had put up a barrier to keep out the Leaf to allow their _Otokage_ and his assistant to work undisturbed. Below them, the Sound and Leaf clashed in battle. From the top of the _Hokage_ Monument and behind the double layered barrier of his Sound Four, he could just make out his former teammates, Jiraya sweeping through the ranks of the Sound Ninja, Tsunade and her two apprentices decimating their enemies with their monstrous strength and healing their own. Not far from where Jiraya fought was the Hyuuga Heiress and her prodigal cousin, and a ways off were the Copy-Ninja and the Academy teacher Iruka who cut through the ranks of the Sound Ninja with surprising ruthlessness.

Kabuto smiled. Every Sound Ninja with eyes could tell that the strength and sanity of the _Kyuubi_ vessel stemmed from his so called precious people. Orochimaru had decided that if they removed the _Jinchuuriki's_ precious people, he may well give up being a _shinobi_ due to not having anyone to fight for. But somehow, the Sound Ninja could not shake the feeling of dread welling up in his stomach. He had a feeling that their plan would not lessen _Konoha's_ strength, instead, they may very well increase it…

He did not know how right he was….

There was a resounding wave of relief from the Leaf Ninja as the Sound's forces retreated once more. Tsunade sent Shizune away toward the hospital to have the doctors prepare for an influx of patients. Suddenly, several dark spheres flew from the top of the _Hokage_ Monument, and Sakura moved to intercept the sphere moving toward Tsunade. The sphere of dark violet chakra slammed into the pink haired _kunoichi_ and moved on to engulf the _Godaime. _Another sphere engulfed Hinata, Neji, and Iruka, while the last sphere swallowed Kakashi, who valiantly attempted to divert its path, and consumed Jiraiya. There were three large explosions as the spheres vanished, taking with them seven great _shinobi_, the Fifth _Hokage_ amongst them.

A sudden anguished cry drew the eyes of the remaining Ninja to the gate where a golden haired _ANBU_ fell to his knees, ripping off his fox shaped mask as he did so. Inuzuka Kiba, Yamanaka Ino, Akimichi Choji, Nara Shikamaru, Aburame Shino, Higurashi Tenten, and Rock Lee converged on the young man while the other Ninja turned their eyes away in respect, both for the identity of the _ANBU_ (though every Ninja knew who the fox _ANBU_ was, as no one else would willingly bear the countenance of a _kitsune_ after the _Kyuubi_ attack), and for understanding of his grief. Let the _Godaime's _favorite and the apprentice of the _Sannin_ Jiraiya grieve for the people closest to his heart with comfort from his remaining friends.

Winner Estate, Belgium, Earth

4:05 P.M., April 23, 197 A.C

The chakra was a familiar feeling, and he could feel the fox shifting uneasily behind the seal. Quatre's footsteps quickened, and behind him, Abdul followed, murmuring into the two way radio, his face a mask of worry at his employer's uncharacteristic abruptness. The blonde paused outside the maze, and blue turquoise eyes narrowed as he slipped a _kunai_ and several _shuriken_ from under his vest. Abdul's eyes widened and he cut the connection on the radio and pulled out a gun, following Quatre cautiously into the maze.

Quatre slipped through the shadows, his senses on alert. Despite the familiar chakra, he was wary. After all, the chakra signatures belonged to people who were long dead. How could they possibly ever exist here at this time? He shook the thought away. Just because the chakra was similar didn't mean that it was them, no, it was simply an intruder on the grounds whose untrained chakra was similar to that of those long dead.

He paused near the center of the maze and stretched out his senses. He frowned and turned toward Abdul.

"It would be best if you left now," the blonde said firmly.

"But Master Quatre," Abdul's face was scandalized, "it isn't safe!"

Quatre's face hardened. "Don't argue with me," the blonde said ominously.

Abdul swallowed nervously as the air around them seemed to drop a few degrees and became stifling and nodded. After so many years with the blonde, each member of the Maganac Corps learned that the diminutive blonde was at his most formidable when he began giving direct orders, and the best thing to do was to obey, and the blonde had a way of knowing if they didn't. The Maganac left quickly.

Summer

5:00 AM, _Konohagakure no Sato, Hi no Kuni_

"I, Uzumaki Naruto, swear that I shall be a just and fair leader to the citizens of _Konohagakure no Sato_. I swear to uphold and maintain the laws and traditions set by my predecessors, and to be a worthy successor of my fellow _Hokage_. I swear to be firm and merciful in my judgments. I swear to protect _Konoha_ with all my power, to be a strong leader of the _shinobi_ of this village, to be the first to charge and last to retreat, and if necessary, to die for this village. As _Rokudaime_, I do so swear."

"We the Elders of the Ruling Council of _Konohagakure no Sato_ do so swear our fealty to the _Rokudaime Hokage _of _Konoha_. We swear to uphold and maintain the laws set by the _Hokage_ and to guide and lead the village in times of necessity. We the Elders of the Ruling Council, accept the oath of Uzumaki Naruto as _Rokudaime _Hokage, and do so swear loyalty unto death."

"Let the Shadow of Fire purify and guard this village. Loyalty or disloyalty, good or ill; let all actions be returned, three times three. So it is said, so mote it be."

And so it was done. Naruto became _Rokudaime_, and he nodded to the council and swept out of the chamber, the robes of the _Hokage _swirling around him. He entered the office of the _Hokage_ and looked out the window at the five faces of his predecessors.

Orochimaru would pay for taking away the most precious of his precious people, but he was _Hokage_, first and foremost. He would do his duty to _Konoha_, but when time came, Orochimaru would perish by his hands. On the seal that imprisoned the _Kyuubi no Yoko_ he swore it.

The sudden appearance of a familiar chakra drew him from the dark thoughts, and he turned his head slightly toward the door in acknowledgement of the presence.

"_Rokudaime-sama_?" an _ANBU_ stood in the doorway of the office. "The announcement of your inauguration will be made in half an hour."

Naruto nodded curtly, and the _ANBU_ hesitated before striding into the room and placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"I swear it, Konohamaru," Naruto said through clenched teeth, "While I fulfill my duty as _Rokudaime Hokage_, I will protect what is left of my precious people, and when the time comes, Orochimaru will pay. I will kill him for taking away so many of my precious people, and for depriving us of yet another _Hokage._"

The grandson of the Third _Hokage_ squeezed Naruto's shoulder in confirmation. "I will stand with you, Naruto, so long as you don't go rogue."

Naruto blinked then chuckled softly. "As long as I have precious people in this village, as long as I am _Hokage_, you need not worry about that, my friend."

Konohamaru nodded. "I'm glad. I take my leave."

Naruto nodded wordlessly as the _ANBU_ left the office and he smiled softly. "Even if all my precious people are dead, and the Leaf razed to the ground, I would never turn my back on the Leaf, Konohamaru. This village is far too precious to me for me to do that."

Winner Estate, Belgium, Earth

4:05 P.M., April 23, 197 A.C

Quatre stepped out into the heart of the maze, and instantly threw himself onto the floor and rolled to his feet, throwing the _kunai _and_ shuriken_ in his hands. As he rolled to his feet, he formed a hand seal and murmured, "_Shuriken Kage Bushin no Jutsu_."

The Ninja stars multiplied in number, and the elder ninja began performing hand seals and slammed their hands onto the ground calling, "_Doton: Doroku Gaeshi_!" A wall of earth rose, blocking the storm of throwing knives and ninja stars. One of the white haired ninja behind the wall vanished in a puff of smoke as the wall lowered back into the earth.

Quatre, sensing the presence behind him, formed a ball of chakra in his hand and spun around, preparing to drive it into the stomach of the ninja behind him.

Jiraiya, for that was who it was, grabbed the teen's wrist and his eyes widened as he recognized the chakra and the attack as the _Rasengan_. "Naruto?" the Frog Hermit said, surprised.

Quatre stiffened. "Who are you?" the blonde said, coldly.

Jiraiya blinked. "It's me, Jiraiya!"

The Frog Hermit found himself on his back. "Don't you dare lie to me!" Quatre hissed, and the other ninja shivered at the anger and cold waves of killing intent rolling off the blonde. "Everyone who knows me by that name is dead! How dare you… How dare you impersonate people long dead!"

The seven ninja stared in shock. People thought they were dead?


	3. Maelstrom

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

Summary: Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over SasuSaku KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 2: Maelstrom

Summer

12:00 PM, _Konohagakure no Sato, Hi no Kuni_

The village grieved for the lost _Hokage_ yet rejoiced for the new leader. Despite being a demon vessel, Naruto was a good leader, and seemingly brash and foolish decisions turned out to be far more elaborate than expected. Employment rates were high, and despite being at war, the Hidden Leaf Village made a steady income. To the dismay of the other Hidden Villages, however, the identity of the Sixth _Hokage_ remained unknown.

Kabuto, hidden under a _genjutsu_, frowned as he carefully slipped through the village. This had not been a part of the plan. _Konoha_ was supposed to be weakened and in chaos while in the process of seeking a new _Hokage_, yet they had found a _Rokudaime_ almost immediately. Something didn't add up, and Orochimaru wasn't happy about, which was why the Sound ninja was sneaking around the Hidden Leaf.

_Swoosh!_

Kabuto cursed softly as he found himself tangled up in a series of chakra draining nets. Seven _ANBU_ appeared around him and he groaned, realizing that his _genjutsu_ had been dispelled as his chakra was drained by the nets.

Three people dropped down behind the _ANBU_, two of the ninja he recognized as Morino Ibiki and Mitarashi Anko. The third, he realized with a start, was the elusive Sixth _Hokage._ Kabuto could not see the _Hokage's_ face, as Anko and Ibiki were in the way, but that problem was quickly rectified as the two _tokubetsu jounin_ moved aside so the _ANBU_ captain could speak to the _Hokage_, revealing shoulder length gold hair which was hidden under the conical _Hokage's_ hat with several strands escaping to frame a handsome face that was blank of all emotion, icy and penetrating cerulean eyes, and three thin whisker like marks on both cheeks.

_Uzumaki Naruto!_ He realized in shock. The spy gave no resistance as the _ANBU_ trussed him up, leaving one of the _chakra_ draining nets on him as a precaution and led him away. Even if he wanted to resist, he couldn't, as the nets drained him of both _chakra_ and stamina.

_We were wrong, _Kabuto thought distantly as he stared at the swiftly diminishing figure of the _Rokudaime_ who watched them impassively, flanked on both sides by Ibiki and Anko. _By taking away his precious people, we only gave him more reason to fight, even if it is only for revenge… We didn't make Konoha weaker, we actually made her stronger…_

Winner Estate, Belgium, Earth

4:15 P.M., April 23, 197 A.C

"What are you talking about, Naruto?" Sakura yelled. "And why are you wearing those stupid clothes? Stop trying to look cool! You're not fooling anyone!"

Quatre's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You are treading on dangerous ground girl," he snarled, "Don't test my patience. And my name is not Naruto."

"Naruto…" Jiraiya said, pushing himself back to his feet. "You really hit pretty hard, for a brat."

Quatre glared angrily and pulled out another kunai as well as his gun and leveled it at Tsunade, aiming between the woman's eyes and clicked off the safety. "Get off my property. I don't like impersonators or trespassers."

"Now, now, Naruto," Kakashi said, one eye curving in a smile, "don't be like that. What would the _Sandaime_ and your father say?"

"You…" Quatre started shaking and his finger tightened against the trigger. "How dare you speak of the dead in such a familiar way!" the blonde exploded, and the _Kyuubi's chakra_ swirled around him as the killing intent in the air intensified and lashed at the senses of the seven _shinobi_ in devastating waves. Red bled into blue eyes as the blonde's fury drew forth the demonic _chakra_ from the seal. "You dare…" the blonde's voice became hoarse and guttural as the _Kyuubi_ added his anger to his vessel's, "You dare draw up memories of those long dead, of a time long forgotten, of a life long past… If you truly were the seven you claimed to be, you would know better than to do something so obvious, as it risks unleashing my burden… For that oversight, I will **kill** you!"

"Wait a minute!" Jiraiya yelled, suddenly panicking, "What if we prove that we are who we say we are?"

Red eyes with black slitted pupils turned on the Frog Hermit with such intensity, the man shivered. "You have one chance…" Quatre growled.

"During your first chunin exam," Jiraiya said nervously, "Orochimaru placed a five point seal over the _Shiki Fuuin_ that contains the _Kyuubi. _You used your patented _Orioke no Jutsu_ to get me to train you, and I agreed. While training you in your chakra control, I removed the seal and told you that I had hit a pressure point that relaxed you and allowed your chakra to flow more easily since you were having trouble with your chakra. Your father was the _Yondaime Hokage_, and you were named Uzumaki Naruto to protect you. Your true name is Kazama Kazuki!"

Red eyes slowly bled blue and Quatre stepped back shakily. "That… That's not possible," the blonde whispered. "Orochimaru's _jutsu _struck you all full on… There was a battlefield full of witnesses that saw you die…"

"Naruto?" Iruka said, "Are you alright?"

"Naruto…" Quatre whispered. "Yes, once, in one of my previous lives, I was known as Uzumaki Naruto, apprenticed to Jiraiya the Frog Hermit, the _Kitsune_ of the _Konoha_ _ANBU_ and _Rokudaime Hokage_."

He closed his eyes and took in a deep and steadying breath. He opened his eyes and turned the safety back on, jammed it back in its holster, and said firmly, "But in this life, I am Quatre Raberba Winner, Pilot 04 of the Gundam Sandrock, head of the Winner family and CEO of WEI."

His eyes narrowed and he studied the seven ninja in front of him and continued, "The time of the _shinobi _is over, and you are four thousand years into the future, in the Golden Age of Humanity."

"What!"

Quatre smiled gently, slipping his hands into his pockets and said, "I wake up to that thought everyday." Blue Turquoise eyes became wistful. "Why don't you come into the house, with all of us under one roof, it will be like a mini-_Konoha_…"

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Naruto," Neji said.

Quatre's smile became indulgent. "Certainly," he said, and led the way out of the maze.

At the outskirts, they met with a worried Rashid and Abdul, and Quatre smiled softly at the two Maganacs. Abdul and Rashid couldn't help but note the wistfulness in the blonde's eyes, but also noticed that the Arabian pilot seemed more at peace than they had seen him in a long while.

"Master Quatre?" Rashid ventured, warily.

Quatre's smile widened. "Have the servants prepare seven guest rooms, and let Fatima know that we will be having seven more guests tonight, Rashid," the blond said gently. "We'll see if some of my sister's clothes won't fit the ladies, and if father's clothes will fit the gentlemen and Neji should be about the same size as Duo I suppose."

The two Maganacs exchanged looks before nodding and leaving to fulfill their assigned tasks.

Summer

1:00 PM, _Konohagakure no Sato, Hi no Kuni_

Kabuto gasped in pain as four _senbon _were slipped into small holes on the manacles into each wrist, serving to prevent him from bleeding to death while keeping him from easily escaping out of the manacles. Unknown to the Sound spy, the _senbon_ served a third purpose, to complete the seal that sealed away a ninja's ability to channel and mold _chakra_ while draining it away to fuel the numerous seals that ran throughout the room.

The door swung open just as Ibiki stepped away from the Sound spy, and the newly inaugurated _Rokudaime_ entered, his face impassive. An _ANBU_, most likely a new recruit, set up a folding chair in a discreet corner so the _Hokage_ would see everyone who came and went in the room, but not be seen until he revealed himself. A glass tube came down, and small metal prongs locked into place.

"Are you curious?" Naruto said quietly, his voice sounding hollow and distant from inside the tube. "Did you know that there are occasions when a _Hokage_ may sit in during an interrogation? This tube protects them from any unpleasant splatters should things get… messy…"

Cool blue eyes met calm dark eyes and Naruto nodded. "Begin."

Ibiki inclined his head and turned toward Kabuto, a malicious smile on his face.

It suddenly hit the Sound-nin for the first time how utterly devoted the citizens of _Konoha_ seemed to the _Rokudaime_. A faintly confused look flashed across his face, and Ibiki didn't miss it.

"You're wondering why we seem so devoted to Naruto when just the other day we treated him like shit, aren't you?" the Torture and Interrogation Specialist said. "It's because he is a good _Hokage_ and has not led us wrong yet. It has been two months since he came into office, and Naruto-_sama_ has proven himself to be more than adequate for the position."

Ibiki's eyes held a tint of warmth and more than a little brotherly affection as he glanced briefly at the young man behind him. Then, as quickly as it came, the _tokubetsu jounin's_ expression became as blank as it had been when he had first entered the room. He held up a _kunai_ and smiled at the spy, though no warmth reached his eyes.

"There is only a limited supply of air in that tube. _Hokage-sama_ will be starting to feel uncomfortable in there rather soon, so we had best get started, Yakushi-_kun_."

A scream of pain drifted from behind the shut iron door and down the metal reinforced halls. The _ANBU_ did not so much as blink, and simply continued about in their own business. It was only Ibiki doing his job after all…

Winner Estate, Belgium, Earth

4:51 P.M., April 23, 197 A.C

"All right, who the heck are you!"

Neji looked up from the book from his perch on the couch and arched an elegant eyebrow. "Neji," the Hyuuga said shortly. "I'm one of Quatre's friends."

"Right…" Duo said sarcastically. "Q's never spoken about you before…"

"My acquaintances before the war are really none of your business, Duo," Quatre commented lightly, stepping out of the study in the other room, primly straightening his vest.

Tsunade looked up from her own book and raised an eyebrow at the reincarnation of the _Kyuubi_ vessel and said lightly, "What did Jiraiya do this time?"

"He wanted to know if I'd lost my touch," the blonde said lightly, "and despite my lack of proper _taijutsu _abilities, I showed him what a Gundam Pilot was capable of."

The Arabian pilot gave a feral smile, and to the confusion of the ninja in the living room, the four other Pilots shuddered, "That should teach him to underestimate me. I'd like to see him try to so some _research _for that Icha Icha crap while under _my_ roof…"

"Winner," Wufei muttered, "you are scary like that…"

Quatre simply smiled.


	4. Back to the Beginning

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

Summary: Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 3: Back to the Beginning

"04," Heero said.

Quatre's eyes turned cold and he turned to look at the Japanese pilot. "Yes, 01?"

"Explain."

"They're old friends."

"I don't think that's what he meant, Little One," Trowa said softly.

"I know what he meant," Quatre said.

Jiraiya dragged himself into the room. "Dammit, Naruto!" the_ Sannin_ yelled, "You didn't have to hit me so hard!"

"Uzumaki Naruto no longer exists," the Arabian said coldly, "I am what you call a Gundam Pilot, a murderer and a soldier."

The room was silent. "Now that everyone is here," Quatre said, his eyes lighting up, "I suppose it's time I explained everything."

"Please do," Neji said, closing the book and setting it aside.

"Sit," Quatre ordered, seating himself elegantly on an armchair and tapping a black button. The radio crackled and the blonde said, "Fatima, dearest, some tea for our guests if you please."

A woman's voice answered softly, "Certainly, Master Quatre. Will you be serving the usual?"

"Yes, thank you."

A few minutes later, a woman wheeled a tray into the room, bowed and left. Quatre rose, and poured the tea, handing a cup to Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Iruka, Hinata, Neji, and Sakura, in that order. He then poured five cups of tea, and took one cup back to his chair and sat down. The four remaining pilots positioned themselves around the room, while the seven _shinobi_ watched with straight faces.

_Defensive formation over tea? _Tsunade thought, _These certainly aren't any ordinary children anymore than our own genin back home._

"Everything begins with who I am," Quatre said. "This story starts and ends with my name, Kazama Kazuki, Uzumaki Naruto, and most recently, Quatre Raberba Winner."

He paused and sipped his tea, lolling the liquid around in his mouth, enjoying the taste of the Jasmine Green Tea that was specially imported from Japan. It had always been one of his quirks, an Arabian who preferred the taste of an Asiatic tea over the stronger European or Oriental tea his people and family preferred.

"Long ago, in a time that has been all but forgotten, the world was a single large continent which housed several warlike peoples that called themselves _shinobi_. There were the five great _Shinobi Countries_, Water Country, Wind Country, Lightening Country, Earth Country, and Fire Country. These countries were led by their leaders, the _Kage_ who are the strongest of the ninja; and they are the _Mizukage, Kazekage, Raikage, Tsukikage, _and the_ Hokage._ The _Kage_ leads the Hidden Villages from which the _Shinobi_ were born, trained, and dispatched. I was born Kazama Kazuki to the Fourth _Hokage_ of the Hidden Village of the Leaf in Fire Country," the blonde said.

He sipped his tea, closed his eyes, and continued, "At the time of my birth, there was an attack by the Nine Tailed Demon Fox, the _Kyuubi no Yoko_, and to protect the village, my father sealed the Nine Tails into me, his only child and heir at the price of his life. For my own protection, when I reached the age of four, I was renamed Uzumaki Naruto, and told that I was to never reveal my heritage until the day the the _Sannin _known as Orochimaru no longer existed in the world. For the next six years, I was raised by the Uchiha and the Hyuuga, whose _dojutsu_ of the _Sharingan _and _Byakugan _were born from the Kazama _dojutsu, _the _Yochigan, _which is carried in the blood of the males, but active in the females, and the sealing of the Nine Tails was labeled an S-class secret and the elder generation was never to speak of it to the children of the younger generation on pain of death. Despite being a ward of the village, I was not well liked, for many villagers, _shinobi _and civilian alike, for they were those who had no faith in the work of my father, and believed me to be the Nine Tails himself. As such, so long as I lived outside of the _Hokage Dairi_, I was in constant danger from assassins, and so, I was assigned _ANBU_ protection, each _ANBU_ specially selected from the few of the elite who trusted in my father's work, and saw me, either for myself, or as a reflection of my father's power the _Yondaime_ _no musuko, _the son of the Fourth.

"When I was six, the Uchiha Clan Massacre took place, and Uchiha Sasuke was spared by his elder brother, Uchiha Itachi. Because the last Uchiha was a minor, the Hyuuga took over the Uchiha Clan's half of the duty of subservience to the "Mother Clan" as Uchiha Fugaku-_san_ often called the Kazama. That very year, the Third enrolled me in the Ninja Academy, and the number of _ANBU_ watching me was halved. They watched me only when I left the Academy grounds, and as time went on, I realized that many of the Academy teachers did not like me. The _chunin_ instructors subtly disencouraged my learning, when I asked for clarification, they often times told me this such as "You're a waste of time!" or "Why are you even here if you can't do such a simple thing?" and while they helped other students, they refused to so much as look at me. I then began to develop the mindset in which if they would not look at me as a _shinobi_ in training, I would make them look at me by any means necessary, thus began my career as a prankster. It was only until I was enrolled in Iruka-_sensei's_ class that I began to improve, for Iruka-_ sensei_ looked past what others saw, and helped me. Despite the drastic change in my understanding of the material and in my work ethic, I had been at the bottom of the class for so long that there really was no way for me to change my standing.

"I failed the Academy _genin_ exams three times, and on the third failure, I was approached by Mizuki-_sensei_ who told me that if I were to take the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing from the _Hokage's _office and learn a technique, I would be passed. I was young, and naïve enough to believe him, after all, he had always been nothing but sympathetic to me. For a child who had been put down for so long to have this apparent source of sympathy and understanding, they would trust them unconditionally. I never stopped to think that if it were in the _Hokage's_ office, then surely it should not be taken out, and I stole the scroll and fled into the forest where Mizuki-_sensei­_ had told me I could train, and I learned the _Kage Bushin_, where the clones were solid flesh and blood. It was there that I learnt the reason behind the hatred of the village, and of Mizuki-_sensei's_ treachery and Iruka-_sensei's _heartfelt love for me. I defeated Mizuki-_sensei­_ and Iruka-_sensei­_ gave me his _Hitae-ate_ to signify my passing the Academy Exam, and it was there that I began to develop my _nindo_, my ninja way of never breaking a promise and always protecting my precious people.

"After becoming _genin_, I looked forward to the _Chunin_ Selection Exams, during which, the Third had promised me that I would have my revenge on the village in the form of the revelation of my heritage. The Third, however, told me that my team would have to complete at least two C rank missions, which is the equivalent of a B rank mission in terms of the level of difficulty, before he would allow Kakashi-_sensei_ to nominate us for the _Chunin_ Selection Exam. So about two weeks later, I talked the Third into giving us a C rank."

"You didn't persuade him, Naruto," Sakura said dryly, "You all but commanded the Third to give us a C rank."

Quatre smiled indulgently. "Looking back, I _could_ have ordered the Third to give us a C rank, and he would have given it to us; after all, what sane _Kage_ would refuse a Kazama their desire? Even a carrier of the dormant _Yochigan_ has other powers to make up for the lack of the family _dojutsu._ I worded the request according to what was expected of me, and convinced the Third in the fashion of the ever boisterous Uzumaki Naruto.

"Anyway, the Third gave us the C-rank, in which we were to escort the bridge builder Tazuna back to his home in Wave Country, and it was part way to Wave Country where we discovered that the mission had been mislabeled. We were attacked by two missing-nins known as the Demon Brothers, and all of Team 7 acted accordingly. Kakashi-_sensei­_ allowed himself to be caught, then performed _Kawarimi_ and I created a _bushin_ in the forest, and switched with it, safely giving the impression that I had frozen. Sasuke, the arrogant bastard that he is, moved to protect my _bushin_ and mock it while Sakura pulled out a _kunai_ and stood off to the side looking for all the world as if protecting Tazuna. Kakashi-_sensei­_ disabled the Demon Brothers, and after getting the full story from Tazuna, decided to continue the mission. We then met Momochi Zabuza, and he and _sensei_ fought, and when Zabuza was near defeat, an accomplice posing as a Hunter-nin, later known as Haku, put him into a near death state, and left. We met a second time during which Haku died by _sensei's_ hands, and Zabuza discovered that his employer, Gato, intended to have him executed so that he would not have to pay him. Zabuza became angry when Gato disrespected Haku's death, and tore through Gato's army of mercenarys and eventually killed Gato himself with only a kunai in his mouth.

"We returned to _Konoha_ and found ourselves entered into the _Chunin_ Selection Exam. During the _Chunin_ Selection Exam, we came across old friends and new ones. In the second Exam, we met with the man who was responsible for the village's pain. The _Sannin _Orochimaru, who had twelve years before, summoned the greatest of the Tailed Beasts, the _Kyuubi,_ and set it upon _Konoha_, resulting in a massive loss of life, and the death of my father. I never realized it until Sakura-san told me his name, and I swore that if time came, and if chance allowed, I would kill him and avenge my village and blood.

"After the preliminaries, the Third called me and told me that because of my importance to the village and the threat posed by Orochimaru, my heritage would not be revealed. I was quite upset. Hiashi-sama had already set everything up, instructing Hinata-san and Neji-san that whichever made it to the third exam was to collect the paper that was marked with chakra, which I myself had done. And so, by the third exam, instead of being announced as Kazama Kazuki and wearing the Kazama robes and fighting with the Kazama _taijutsu_, I remained in all appearance, Uzumaki Naruto. The exam was interrupted by an invasion from the Sound, and it was revealed that the visiting _Kazekage_ was actually Orochimaru, and that the real _Kazekage_ was dead. _Konoha_ fought long and hard, and eventually beat back the invaders, but the cost was high, and the Third was dead.

"I set out with my _sensei, _Jiraiya to find our _Godaime, _Tsunade, and when she made fun of my dream to become _Hokage_, I recklessly challenged her. Obviously, I lost, yet a bet was made. If I could master my father's prized _Rasengan_ in one week, Tsunade would return to the Leaf as our Fifth, and would give me the _Shodai's_ necklace as acknowledgement of my dreams. A week passed, and believing that I could not master the _Rasengan, _Tsunade went to confront Orochimaru alone, and Jiraiya, Shizune and I went to stop her. I confronted Kabuto, a spy for the Sound and traitor to the Leaf, and though I never revealed it, did the impossible and activated my _dojutsu_. The _Yochigan _allowed me to find an opening and hit Kabuto with a _Rasengan_ but the combination of _Yochigan and Rasengan_ drained me of _chakra._ My last memory was of Tsunade standing over me, and when I woke later, I found the necklace of the First around my neck, and that Tsunade had saved me. We returned to the Leaf, and Tsunade became our Fifth. Not long after, Uchiha Sasuke defected, and due to a shortage of _shinobi,_ newly promoted _chunin_, Nara Shikamaru led myself, Hyuuga Neji, Akimichi Choji, and Inuzuka Kiba on an A class mission to retrieve him. The mission was a failure, and Jiraiya and I left soon after for training and returned to the Leaf three years later."

Quatre sighed and sipped his tea again. "To make a long story short, I'll skip forward four years after my return. Sasuke killed his brother and discovered that orochimaru was the one who had killed the Uchiha Clan, and Itachi had been the one to find their parents. Sasuke walked into the room to find his brother holding the bloody kunai which he had pulled out of their mother's body in hopes of saving her, and built on the image in hopes of preventing Sasuke from attempting revenge against Orochimaru. Sasuke committed what quickly became known among my ANBU squad as "Suicide by Naruto" by faking an attack against me with _chidori, _and once I created the _rasengan _by reflex, he grabbed my wrist and shoved the attack into his chest.

"Four years later, Orochimaru formed an alliance with Stone and Cloud and attacked. Other villages such as Grass and Mist declared neutrality, while Sand and Waterfall allied with us. In what became the Battle of Sorrows, Orochimaru performed an unknown _jutsu_ that caused us to lose seven skilled _shinobi_; Haruno Sakura, Hyuuga Hinata, Hyuuga Neji, Umino Iruka, Hatake Kakashi, _Sannin_ Jiraiya and _Godaime Hokage_ Tsunade. Desperate for leadership, the Council summoned the last Kazama and Uzumaki Naruto became _Rokudaime Hokage._ With the impossible _Yochigan_ active in a male heir, the Sixth eradicated Stone, Cloud, and the Sound, reducing the three villages to rubble in three years, then abdicated to Sarutobi Konohamaru, the grandson of the Third, by the end of his fourth year as _Hokage_. I returned to the _ANBU_ as a Seal Master, and died of a massive atrophy in my cells four years later. To my knowledge, my heritage was never released even after my death, and the Kazama Clan, like the Uchihas, vanished from the face of the earth."

"Nearly four millennia into the future, I was then born as the person you see before you, I am Quatre Raberba Winner, the thirty first child of the Winner family and the sole male heir. Perhaps it is a side effect of the seal, for the _Kyuubi _was reborn with me, and my memories were intact, and like in the past, the seal appears when I channel _chakra._ A war of great magnitude took place, and I became one of the five Gundam Pilots representing the colonies. We were betrayed, and fought as terrorists, and five boys against a whole army, and we had them on the run. We eventually ended the war, but peace is rarely long lived. A group called the Perfect Peace People, the PPP, were a group of radicals that saw the Gundam as a tool of evil, but at the same time, they sought a hidden Mobile Suit factory on the colony Libra. We destroyed the factory, and made plans to destroy the Gundams by sending them into the sun, but the move was too hasty, for a new organization rose, led by a young girl claiming to be Mariemia Barton, the daughter of the OZ General, Trieze Kushrenada. 04 defected to join Mariemia. While 01, 02, and 03 worked to slow the plans, I went to retrieve the Gundams, and ultimately, we won and restored peace to Earth. It has been several years, and the ESUN and the Colonies have been at peace, and the five of us have joined an organization that watches the world for terrorists and potential threats to our peace, and eradicates them before they can become too much of a threat."

"Which leads us to the point where we are now," Quatre sighed and sipped his tea. "I am currently the head of a multibillion dollar company and one of the two organizations providing funding for the Preventors organization, and I am on the Preventor Reserve lists as well as the Politician representing the Colony L4. And with that, everything comes full circle."

"Your attitude now differs greatly from the past," Neji said, a slight smile on his face. "I think I can get used to you in this way."

Quatre laughed. "You should see Ibiki, he's no less sadistic, but he's been reborn as a _woman_. She nearly killed me when she found out that I remembered everything and recognized him/her right off despite the sex change and the drastically different appearance."

Shocked silence. Then Kakashi swallowed and said, "Morino Ibiki was reborn as a woman?"

"Yes, I was, and if you laugh, Kakashi, I will personally remove that which defines you as a man, or my name is not Dorothy Catalonia," a feminine voice growled.

Eleven sets of eyes locked onto the blonde woman who had just walked in. "Good afternoon, Dorothy," Quatre said pleasantly, "Tea?"

"Please," Dorothy stalked over to a chair and perched lightly on it. "Where on earth did you find them, and how did they get here?"

Quatre shrugged. "You tell me, because frankly, I'm stumped."

"Wait a minute!" Tsunade said suddenly, pointing at Dorothy. "That is _Ibiki_!"

Dorothy smiled sweetly as she accepted a cup of tea from Quatre. "In the flesh, so to speak…"

"Damn…" Iruka groaned. "Please tell me Anko didn't get reborn either."

Dorothy and Quatre exchanged a look and burst into laughter. "It's just hilarious!" Quatre laughed.

"The most sadistic woman you would ever meet," Dorothy chuckled.

"And she was reincarnated into none other than _Relena Darlian Peacecraft_!" the two blondes howled with laughter.

"I don't get it?" Duo whined. "What's so funny about the Peacecrap?"

"It's Peace_craft_, Duo," Quatre admonished gently, still chuckling. He turned to Dorothy. "Will you tell them? I've been talking for the past hour or so, I could use the rest."

Dorothy smirked evilly. "Certainly, Quatre," she purred. "So it's like this, Mitarashi Anko was the apprentice to Orochimaru and was abandoned by him when he defected from the Leaf. She was pretty upset about it, and it made her into someone who enjoyed other people's pain. She was among the best specialists in the _ANBU_ Torture and Interrogation Unit because of it. She was reincarnated into Relena Darlian Peacecraft who is Queen of Earth, Princess of Sanq, and Vice Foreign Minister of the ESUN. But the tearjerker is that she is an advocate for peace and _pacifism_!"

The _shinobi_ couldn't help it. They all laughed.

Quatre smiled faintly as he watched the group from over the brim of his teacup. Things were almost back to normal, and it was almost like old times…

"It's pretty close to how things used to be, but it won't ever be like back then again, Ibiki," he whispered.

"I know, but we'll just have to live with the changes," Dorothy whispered back.

Quatre nodded and leaned back in his chair, taking another sip of tea. Things may never again be the same, but they had a second chance, and he would be damned if he let it slip from him again…


	5. Lost Love

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

Summary: Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**Credit to StarsofYaoi and her wonderful fic "Uncertainty" on I loved your fic, and I'm sorry, but I couldn't help sneaking bits and pieces of your idea. **

Chapter 4: Lost Love

Winter

11:35 A.M., _Otogakure no Sato, Oto no Kuni_

Orochimaru was furious. Kabuto had gone missing after being sent into the Leaf three months ago, and just yesterday, a package had been delivered to the Sound, addressed to Orochimaru. When he had opened the package, the contents had been the severed head of his right hand man, his handsome features contorted in an expression of fear and pain, and a letter.

"_The time of the Snake is drawing to a close. The Age of the Fox now begins. The impossible Son who bears the Yochigan has risen in power. The time for revenge is near. Yakushi Kabuto merely tasted a fraction of what I shall do to you._

_You summoned the Kyuubi and set him on Konoha. Though it was not by your hand that my father died, his death was caused by the sealing of the demon whom you summoned. I hold you responsible for the death of my esteemed father. You performed the jutsu that deprived my village of seven great shinobi, our Godaime included, whether they are dead or not, you are still to blame._

_S-Class missing-nin, Shodai Otokage, Orochimaru, you will pay for your sins against the Hidden Village of the Leaf._

_Until we meet again._

_Rokudaime Hokage_

_Kazama Kazuki"_

Orochimaru roared in anger and threw down the paper. "Kazama!"

Winner Estate, Belgium, Earth

11:15 P.M., April 23, 197 A.C

It was a lot to absorb, the knowledge that his student was no longer his student, that Naruto had become the _Rokudaime_ and that none of them had been there to see it. It hurt to know that he cared so much that he had allowed himself to think of revenge, to desire it with all his heart and soul with only the knowledge of what revenge had done to a dear friend to prevent him from being consumed by the hatred.

Kakashi's eyes darkened as he stared out the window. He had seen what the desire for revenge had reduced Sasuke to. That Naruto had lived as _Hokage_ but had his heart bent on revenge, the mere thought of how close Naruto had come to becoming like the Uchiha frightened him.

"You don't have to be so upset, Kakashi," a voice murmured.

The _jounin_ started and turned toward the balcony. Mismatched eyes met with bluish-turquoise and Kakashi mentally scolded himself for getting caught off guard. Quatre smiled gently and hopped lightly off the railing.

"It's late, and my empathy is picking up your emotions from the other end of the hall," the blonde remarked lightly.

"What are we supposed to call you now?" Kakashi asked, "Now that you're no longer Naruto."

Quatre turned his face to the sky and said softly, "Call me by my name, Quatre, Naruto, Kazuki; it doesn't really matter. I've gone through so many identities during the war, it's become second nature for me to respond to a name that both is and is not my own."

Kakashi stiffened slightly. Quatre smiled wistfully, sensing the love and the longing as well as confusion and fear radiating from the _jounin_. Kakashi remembered, and knew that Quatre remembered the love they had shared when Quatre had been Naruto, the confusion and pain that came with loving another with a decade in between them. He remembered it all, and knew that Quatre and Naruto were two different people, and thus, was untouchable.

"I wish…" the jounin murmured, "I wish things could have been different…"

Quatre's wistful smile saddened and he responded in turn, "So do I, Kakashi, so did I."

"_Naruto?" Iruka looked worriedly at his former student. "Are you alright?"_

"_I'm fine, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said loudly, laughing._

"_Are you sure about that, kid?" Genma asked, chewing on his senbon, "'Cause you sure don't look fine."_

_The blonde stilled and gave the two older men a tired smile. "I'm fine, seriously! Just a little tired."_

_Iruka relaxed slightly. "You should go rest then, Naruto. You have a mission tomorrow right? You don't want to be tired when you leave. Why don't you stay over tonight?"_

"_And listen to the two of you going at it?" the blonde tease with a grin, "No thanks, sensei!"_

_Iruka flushed. "NARUTO!" he roared._

_Genma chuckled good naturedly as he watched his lover chase the blonde around the room. Iruka had caught Naruto and started throttling him, and Genma grinned and moved to tug his lover off the genin before he suffocated._

"_Hey, Iruka-sensei, Genma-san?" Naruto said, his voice suddenly soft and unsure._

_Iruka and Genma traded worried looks. Since when was the blonde soft-spoken and unsure?_

"_What is it, Naruto?" Iruka asked gently._

"_What—what happens if you love someone you're not supposed to love?"_

_Iruka's face clouded with worry. "You know, it just takes time," the chunin said gently. "You'll win Sakura's heart eventually."_

"_Sakura-chan?" Naruto's eyes were fixed on his hands, clasped tightly in his lap. "Yeah, I like… Sakura-chan…"_

_Genma and Iruka frowned. What was wrong with the boy?_

"_It's what everyone expects, its right… If I like Sakura-chan… Then it'll go away, 'cause its not right…"_

"_Naruto," Genma said softly. The blonde looked up at the jounin and his heart constricted. It wasn't the first time that they had seen the blonde without his boisterous mask, but never before had such a contradicting mixture of emotions swirled within those expressive cerulean eyes._

"_Love is not always between a man and a woman," Genma murmured gently._

_Naruto smiled sadly. "I know…"_

_Iruka stiffened and said suddenly, "It's age. That's why you're saying its wrong isn't it? There is an age difference between the two of you."_

_Naruto's shoulders stiffened, and then the blonde fled._


	6. One Soul, Two People

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

Summary: Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 5:

Fall

12:46 P.M., _Konohagakure no Sato, Hi no Kuni_

Genma knocked gently on the door to the _Hokage's_ office.

"Enter," Naruto's voice was muffled by the heavy oak door, and the _jounin_ entered the office.

"We haven't spoken in a long time, Naruto," Genma said softly.

Naruto smiled tiredly at the _jounin_. "It has been a long time hasn't it?"

The _jounin_ studied the blonde and noted the dark circles under his eyes and the sickly pallor of the skin. "When was the last time you ate or rested?"

"Hmm?" Naruto looked up from the document he was reading and frowned.

Genma sighed and shook his head. He walked around the desk, grabbed the blonde and slung him over his shoulder and was instantly surprised by how light the Sixth was. "It looks like I'll be kidnapping you for a while, _Hokage-sama_."

"What?!" Naruto squirmed. "Put me down right now! I have work to do!"

"Not until I get you home and in bed. You've been working too hard, Naruto. _Mataku…_ You're even worse than your father, but at least the Fourth had the sense to stop after a while…"

"Genma!!!"

The _ANBU_ peeked inside the office and one said, "With all due respect, _Hokage-sama_," one said, "But you have been working non stop for a while…."

"Is every _shinobi_ in this village going to turn against me? Geez!"

The _ANBUs'_ shoulders shook with suppressed laughter and Genma shrugged, "Only if you are in danger of working yourself to death. Just face it, no matter how much you do, you'll never see the surface of your desk. I know that the Third never did."

"You're not going to let this slide, are you?" Naruto stopped struggling to hang limp.

"I promised Iruka that I would take care of you if he wasn't here, and I intend on keeping that promise even if I have to tie you down and force feed you, _Hokage_ or not!"

"Fine, just put me down! I can walk by myself!"

Genma grinned wickedly. "As you wish, _Hokage-sama._"

And he dropped Naruto. The blonde found himself flat on his back staring at the ceiling, and the two _ANBU_ at the door couldn't help it… They started laughing.

The Blonde dragged himself to his feet and grumbled, "I'm glad that someone is enjoying this..." He glared at the grinning _jounin_. "And you! Was it really necessary to toss me on the floor?!"

Genma shrugged unrepentantly, "You wanted me to put you down…"

Naruto glared. "Fine, let's go."

1:34 P.M., April 24, 197 AC

Quatre's Office, Preventors Headquarters, Sanq

Quatre smiled pleasantly. "I'm afraid we'll have to lock you lot in here for now. The meeting shouldn't take more than an hour. There is a fridge in the sitting area in the northeast corner if you are either hungry or thirsty. Please don't touch anything on my desk, since the files there contain sensitive information. I'll be down to give you a tour when we're done."

"And what are we supposed to do here?" Sakura said.

Quatre smiled gently, "There are some magazines and books for you to read. You can even sharpen your kunai and shuriken if you're bored. No sparring, there just isn't enough space, as you may have noticed; now I've got to go. Lady Une is a stickler for punctuality."

The seven ninja watched as the door shut and heard a series of soft clicks, signaling the locking of the door, and suddenly felt vulnerable.

"I suddenly feel as if I am a prisoner," Sakura murmured softly.

"In a way," Kakashi said, "We are. We know nothing of this place, and have only Quatre to rely on, and even if he was once Naruto, whom we all knew and trusted, he isn't anymore."

The office fell silent as the seven _ninja_ considered the consequences of the change.

Winter

7:00 A.M., _Konohagakure no Sato, Hi no Kuni_

There had never been any question as to the sanity of their _Rokudaime Hokage_. Anyone who knew anything about him could tell that his once steadfast hold in sanity was slipping. Without Kakashi to soothe him in the night, without Iruka and Jiraiya to reassure him in the day, with out Tsunade and Sakura to heal his hurts, without Hinata to calm him, or Neji to offer silent support, he was slipping. He was clinging with all his strength to his sanity for the remainder of his friends, for the village that he so loved, but there were times when even the most innocent and unobservant of children could tell that there was something wrong with the Sixth.

His tenuous grip was slipping, and he was only at his most coherent in a crisis. Yet not even the most radical or conservative of the Elder Council could fault him. Despite his tenuous grip on sanity, he was a good leader, and despite his fading sanity, the village prospered.

It came as no surprise to Ibiki and Anko when one day, they found the Sixth at Training Ground 7, his back pressed against the Memorial Stone, murmuring to the long dead Sasuke and Third about nothing and everything, then suddenly straightening and raving and screaming at the empty air.

He resigned as _Hokage_ and appointed Konohamaru as the Seventh that same day.

The village was sad to see him go, and it became apparent that only when he wore the mask donned by the _ANBU_ that he was at his most coherent. It was a memory of better, happier days, and the village and ANBU did nothing to dissuade him from living in the past. It had amazed the Leaf that he had stayed sane for as long as he had, considering his childhood, and the _Yondaime Kazekage _visited often, sympathizing and understanding Naruto's plight, until the day of his death.

One month later, Shiranui Genma found Naruto dead in his room in ANBU Headquarters. The medics' diagnosis for cause of death was a massive atrophy in his cells, Apotosis, caused by the accelerated Healing by the _Kyuubi chakra._

The funeral was held before the commanding faces of the seven _Hokage_ carved into the mountain, and the face of the Sixth was adorned with flowers imported from the south in honor of the late _Hokage_. The _Godaime Kazekage_, Subaku no Kankuro and his sister Temari attended the funeral as well as the bulk of the village of the Leaf, and the ninja on duty would drop by later to pay their respects. It was sunny and the sky was clear, and the snow around them glittered in the light. The mourners dressed in black stood together, a mass of darkness, as they honored the late _Rokudaime_ and his achievements.

The younger generations would revere him and strive to become as great as the Sixth who had overcome great odds and achieved his dream. The elder generations would love him as they had loved his father, and regret their harsh words that had early on corroded away the foundations of his sanity, leaving his mind hanging by a thread that was dependant on the acceptance and guidance of some of the greatest and most powerful of ninja both in the elder generation and his own. But all would remember that even in the midst of his insanity, he loved _Konoha_ and had always striven to protect them, even when all hope was lost…

The memory of Uzumaki Naruto, _Rokudaime Hokage_ of _Konohagakure no Sato_, would live on in history for all of time…

3:34 P.M., April 24, 197 AC

Quatre's Office, Preventors Headquarters, Sanq

Quatre stalked into the office, the other four Gundam Pilots following him meekly while Dorothy walked beside him, seemingly unaffected by the murderous intent the blonde was giving off. The seven ninja who were scattered throughout the office looked over at the blonde, sensing the murderous intent.

Quatre flung a file on the desk and flung himself into the chair while the pilots arranged themselves around his desk.

"An open Pavilion!" Quatre snarled, "She wants and open pavilion for a gathering of the magnitude of the Treaty of Paris! The sheer _stupidity _of that woman never ceases to amaze me! Considering her position, people _still_ call her the Queen of Earth, and she wants an _open air pavilion!_"

"It will be a security nightmare," Wufei scoffed, "Stupid woman."

"It's hard to believe she was ever someone like Anko, isn't it?" Dorothy asked.

Quatre scoffed, "I find it hard to believe that the _soul_ is Anko's. I swear that Relena gets stupider and stupider every time I see her! The only time she seems to have any intelligence is when she's a part of a delegation or making a political showing. It's infuriating! Doesn't she realize the security nightmare that an open air pavilion would cause?"

"She's young," Duo grinned, "And she hasn't been through the things we have, Quat."

"No she hasn't," Quatre's eyes gleamed dangerously, "But she's about to."

"What are you planning to do?" Heero said warily.

"Demonic _chakra_ leaves a mark," the blonde said, "the soul will always recognize the _chakra_ of a demon that it has previously encountered. If a human has a demon sealed inside them, the _chakra_ will leak, whether into the coils, or the bloodstream, the chakra will mix, and if a soul is familiar with it, the soul will recognize it. That's how Ibiki was awakened."

"You're going to WHAT!?" Tsunade roared. "Are you insane! We don't know how the _Kyuubi chakra_ will affect her!"

Quatre's hand hit the desk, and his eyes smoldered with suppressed anger. "Be silent Tsunade," he hissed.

The seven ninja recoiled at the harsh rebuke and the anger directed toward them. Suddenly, they were highly aware of the difference between Quatre and their own Naruto, who would never raise his voice to them.

"Modern day politics has nothing to do with you. Until we can integrate you lot into modern life, you are merely relics in the past and hardly a citizen whose life will be affected by today's political decisions. Medic-nin you may be, but I know better than anyone the effect of the _kyuubi chakra_ on a human body, I was and still am his vessel," Quatre snapped.

Dorothy placed her hand on Quatre's shoulder. "Calm down," she said sotly, "You're projecting."

Quatre closed his eyes and breathed deeply several times and opened his eyes. "Anko's experience in the arts of ninja combined with Relena's political skill and position may just save Preventors from a lot of headaches."

Dorothy's smile was wry, "And it would save you a lot of migraines reminding yourself that it's Relena and not Anko that you're looking at."

"Yes, that too."

For the first time, the ninja saw the differences between the blonde they knew, and the blonde before them, the reincarnation of their beloved Naruto.

The Gundam pilots, who were still trying to wrap their minds around the fact that Quatre wasn't at all what they thought, saw for the first time how tired their friend was. The burden of both his empathy and the memory of his previous life combined with his current duties weighed on him heavily.

They all saw the blonde woman behind him, and knew without a doubt, that few understood his burden, and for Quatre, they could give no comfort while Dorothy, who understood the burden he carried, could provide him with the support that they could not give.

It was a sobering thought.


	7. The Tokubetsu Jounin & Hokage Complete

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

Summary: Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 6: The Special Elite Ninja and the Fire Shadow (Full Version)

The question of awakening Relena's memories of Anko was fairly simple. All they needed was to have her somehow ingest some of Quatre's genetic material combined with a hefty dose of demonic _chakra_ to jump start the body memory of the former _tokubetsu jounin_ at the cellular level.

Of course, it was getting her to ingest the material and dose her with the _chakra_ that was a problem. From Dorothy's memory of Ibiki's experiences, even civilians could sense the _Kyuubi chakra_, so simply releasing the _chakra_ in the office wasn't an option. The sudden acceleration of subatomic particles from the generation and manifestation of the physical aura would disrupt electrical systems, interfere with wireless radio and satellite frequencies, and send the laboratory and field sensors haywire. Not to mention the swarm of bodyguards and preventors that would swarm all over the office once the cause of the disturbance was pinpointed, especially if it were originating from the Vice-Foreign Minister's office. Even more difficult would be coming up with a believable excuse for why the Vice-Foreign Minister was knocked out in the office with a former Gundam Pilot and the cousin of Trieze Kushrenada in the same room.

No, the best course of action was to have Relena take some time off and get her to the Winner estate to awaken Anko. The problem with that idea was that despite the sheer stupidity and childishness of the teenage politician, she was very serious about her work. It would take a lot to get her away from her desk for any period of time.

A simpler course of action was to simply kidnap Relena, but then that would send the world to the brink of war.

Again.

That was simply not something that either Dorothy or Quatre wanted to go through a second time. It had been nerve-wracking enough the first two times, and they simply didn't want to go through it again a third time; especially since the Gundams had been destroyed. It was a sentiment that was echoed by the other Gundam Pilots.

Tsunade watched from a corner of the library as the reincarnation of the Sixth and the Head of the ANBU Torture and Interrogation Division sat long hours together, poring over files and papers with layouts and blueprints and drew up plans for the imminent awakening of the previous incarnation of the Vice-Foreign Minister. The _Godaime_ felt a faint twinge of regret that the blonde she had considered a younger brother had gone through so much pain, and she had not been there beside him.

Quatre glanced up, and blue-turquoise eyes met with sad brown.

The blonde gave her a reassuring smile before ducking his head toward the papers and murmuring something to Dorothy. The blonde woman nodded and the two collected the papers and began putting them away. The two blondes spoke for a moment and Dorothy took the papers and left. Quatre made his way toward Tsunade.

"Is something wrong?" he asked gently, "You don't look very well."

"I'm fine," Tsunade said, "Just thinking…"

"Thinking about the past?" Quatre's smile was knowing. "What's past is past, Tsunade. I do not blame any of you for leaving; only Orochimaru, and he's been dead for over four thousand years."

"Yet none of can help but feel regret that we couldn't be there for you," Tsunade said sadly.

"I would be worried if you did not," Quatre said gently, "That was a time when my sanity was only held together by the people who were dearest to me, whom I loved, and was loved by in turn." He placed a hand lightly on Tsunade's arm and led her away. "Come, maybe you would feel better over a cup of tea."

Quatre smiled gently at the platinum blonde woman from behind his teacup.

Relena smiled in turn, sipping the tea, then carefully set the cup on its saucer. "Thank you again for offering your estate, Quatre," Relena said. "I'm just worried about what might happen during my break."

Quatre's smile widened slightly. "That why you have administrators, Miss Relena," he said lightly, "So they can take over for you temporarily while you're gone." He lifted his cup and sipped, his lips curving slightly against the thin porcelain. "You work very hard everyday so we can have peace, Miss Relena, it's been a while since you've had a break. Let your administrators take on the work for a while, while you rest a while."

In another room, Dorothy raised a hand to her ear and murmured, "The room is ready, Quatre. The ink is dry, and all we have to do is channel the _chakra_ into the seals to wake Anko."

Quatre murmured softly, "Roger that."

Relena nodded. "Thank you ever so much, Quatre…" she yawned slightly. "It seems I'm a bit tired. I think I'll go to my room and rest."

Quatre's smile took on a slightly predatory edge. "Certainly, I will show you the way."

He rose to his feet as Relena stood up, and he led her away.

The room was white, and the cloths that covered the walls and floor were painted with seals. A large circular set of seals was placed in the very center of the room, though many lines of seals extended from the center. Dorothy stood at the edge of the seals in the northern end of the room, pulling shut the curtains. She was dressed in a white dress as Relena's drowsing form was brought into the room by Quatre, who was dressed in white himself. He laid her down carefully on the very edge of the circle of seals. Swiftly, he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Dorothy swiftly picked up a pile of cloths and swiftly changed Relena from her pink business suit into the white gown. Quickly, she took some ink and began drawing seals onto the girl's skin and as she waited for the ink to dry, Dorothy folded up the clothes and put them onto a rack in another room. She opened the door, poked out her head, and glanced at Quatre who was leaning on the opposite wall, his eyes closed and his arms crossed across his chest.

"Quatre," Dorothy said softly.

Quatre raised his head to look at her and nodded and pushed himself away from the wall and made his way into the room. "Everything is ready?"

"Yeah, all we need now is the _chakra_ to power the seal, and hopefully, we can wake Anko."

Quatre nodded. And paused at the edges of the room, and slowly began to make his way around it, carefully examining the seals on the ground. He paused and frowned at a portion of the seal and lightly stepped into a blank portion of floor and bent down slightly to examine the seal. He nodded slightly and stepped out of the circle and continued his circuit around the room.

Once he was back at his starting point, he nodded and moved to carefully inspect the seals that had been painted onto Relena's skin. Once sure that the seals had been drawn correctly, he picked up the unconscious Vice-Foreign Minister and carried her into the center of the circle of seals and laid her down. He stepped out of the circle and knelt at the northern side of the room while Dorothy knelt at the southern end of the room.

The two exchanged looks, and Quatre slowly released the breath he had been holding. The two began to mold _chakra_ and simultaneously began forming hand seals, their hands flowing in a speed and rhythm that their seals had flowed in so many thousands of years ago. Simultaneously, they slammed their hands onto the outer ring of seals, pushing _chakra_ into the circle, and the seals glowed with a blue fire as their combined _chakra_ activated the circle.

"Ninja Art: Memory Unsealing Technique!" the two said together.

The _chakra_ flared and swirled around them, and after a while, the storm of _chakra_ died down, and the seals pulsed before settling back into plain black ink on cloth. Dorothy and Quatre sighed and pushed away from the circle, and sat back on their heels.

"I guess now, we wait," Dorothy gasped tiredly.

Quatre gave a tired sigh and nodded. "Now we wait," he agreed.

And so they waited.

"Urgh…" she opened her eyes and blinked, the light shining painfully in her eyes. "Damn… What happened?" she asked… "I remember--"

_**---**Screaming and yelling, civilians were slaughtered ruthlessly as Hunters and ANBU alike stormed the village. A burning pain in her back, and a pair of tearful blue eyes under a shock of golden hair and whiskered cheeks while a harsh voice from a heavily scarred face called to her._

"_Hang on, Anko! The medics are on their way!" Ibiki said._

"_Take care of him Ibiki… It was a pleasure to serve you, Rokudaime-sama…"**---**_

_**---**"They harbor missing-nin, by association; they are criminals as well. Kill them all, burn the village to the ground. The children are innocent of their parents' crimes; they shall be spared and brought to Konoha to be raised. If they bear a hitae-ate, then they die, regardless of age."_

"_Hai, Hokage-sama!" the Leaf ninja barked._

"_Go!"**---**_

_**---**"I can't believe he's gone…"_

"_He achieved his dream when the village needed a leader most, only to die because of the Nine-Tails. Like father like son I guess…" Ibiki sighed.**---**_

_**---**"Anko!"_

_She turned and sudden pain… She looks down and there is a kunai in her chest._

"_Anko!"_

_Darkness…**---**_

"Welcome back, Anko," said a warm voice from a shadowed corner, "Or should I say, Relena?"

She looked up at the figure that stood with his back to the window which was covered by light white curtains. The window was the only source of light, and all she could tell was that he was blonde.

"_Rokudaime-sama?"_ she breathed, faintly surprised.

The figure laughed and said, "It's been a long time since anyone has ever called me that. No, Relena, I'm Quatre, remember?"

Relena/Anko blinked and frowned, and dawning rose in her mind. "Are you insane!? What were you trying to do?!"

Quatre chuckled and turned on the lights and smirked. "Open your eyes, we need help that only Relena can provide, with the discretion that only Anko is capable of. Besides, it would give me some peace from wanting to tear your head off after you do something stupid, like say, your recent idea with the open air pavilion?"

"Well, excuse me, if I'm a politician instead of a soldier!"

Quatre smiled. "And now, you are both politician and soldier, much like the K_age_ of the Five Great _Shinobi_ Villages of old."

"You planned this."

"I did." Quatre turned his back on Relena and lifted the edge of the curtain, peering down into the courtyard where the _shinobi_ were training.

"We needed Anko during the war, but it was too dangerous. How would we explain away Relena Dorlian Peacecraft rushing about throwing _kunai _and _shuriken_ indiscriminately while simultaneously advocating peace? We discussed it, and agreed that it would be better to let things lie, since there really was no need for Anko… But things change, and now we need your help, Relena. We need both Relena Dorlian Peacecraft and Mitarashi Anko, which is why I brought you here."

He allowed the curtain to fall back into place and turned to face Relena. The blonde haired teen could see the dark circles under his eyes, and the worry etched into his brow. His shoulders were slumped and tense, as though carrying a great burden. She remembered seeing

_**---**the Yondaime with a brush in his hands, bending over the babe, meticulously painting the seals onto the child's navel. His eyes were suspiciously shiny, and the cerulean depths were filled with panic and most of all, determination and love for the child lying before him. His brow was creased with worry and regret, and the shadows that the light cast over his face drove home the knowledge of what he was sacrificing for their village...**---**_

_**---**the Sandaime stood behind his desk, his eyes fixed on the naked, bawling child, the seal etched onto the pale skin. The lines of his face were deeper, and she realized for the first time just how old the Hokage was…**---**_

_**---**the vibrant, golden haired child bouncing about with Umino Iruka, his lips stretched in a wide smile. His eyes sparkled, but in the cerulean depths was pain, sorrow, and understanding of why he was hated, and a determination to prove that he was not what the village saw him as. His shoulders were pushed back with pride even as he fingered his new hitae-ate, but they were slumped at the same time, and those who understood him knew that his burden had become even greater, especially with Mizuki's revelation of the Nine-Tails…**---**_

_**---**the Godaime bending over a head of golden hair, green healing chakra pouring from her fingertips as she and her apprentices worked to keep the boy alive…**---**_

_**---**the Godaime as she ordered the execution of the seven genin and nine academy students discovered as spies…**---**_

_**---**the Rokudaime as he ordered the razing of the Villages of Hidden Stone, Cloud, and Sound to the ground, the regret, pain and sorrow in those hard cerulean eyes as he ordered the deaths of children who bore the hitae-ate of the enemy villages…**---**_

"Will you help us, Relena?" Quatre said.

Relena glared at the blonde. "First of all, who's 'us'?"

"The _Rokudaime_ and myself," Dorothy said, closing the door behind her. "And if you agree, you."

Relena jerked and stared at the woman. "Dorothy?" she said, surprised, "What on earth?"

The blonde woman smiled as she crossed the room to stand by Relena's bedside. "So we're all together again, the _Rokudaime_ and his two _Tokubetsu Jounin_."

Relena's eyes were comically wide. "I-I-IBIKI!!!!!????"


	8. Forever and Yesterday

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

Summary: Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 7: Forever and Yesterday

Quatre was in his office at Preventors when a knock sounded at his door. He looked up from his paperwork as Relena stepped inside, seven envelopes in her hand, each one labeled with the names of the seven _shinobi_ currently housed in Quatre's L4 residence.

She held them out wordlessly, and Quatre took them, sifting through the papers, turquoise eyes intent.

"Everything seems to be in order," he murmured, "but to integrate them into modern day society, that will be the difficult part."

Relena nodded as she took a seat. "Two hundred years ago, things would have been easier, especially since things back then weren't much different from _Konoha_. The only differences were fairly small, and they could have picked those up with relative ease… Any mistakes or slipups could be passed off for a difference in culture. As it is now, there are fewer cultural differences, and so, there is more for them to remember…"

"In other words, we have to all but teach them how to live," Quatre sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"It will be simple enough," Relena said, "They just have to be civilian and not attempt to play hero and abide by the laws of this age and remember that whereas _ninja_ had fewer and different scriptures restricting them in comparison to civilians in _Konoha_, all the laws in the current age apply to everyone, even the military and law enforcers as well as the legislative administrations. _Ninja_ are known for adhering to their code after all…"

"Unless it goes against their morals," Quatre added.

"Unless it goes against their morals," Relena agreed. "While in the past it can be overlooked, it certainly can't now."

"They won't feel comfortable in a civilian lifestyle," Quatre murmured, "Hell, I don't feel comfortable in a civilian lifestyle!"

"You'll notice that I included a series of applications for them to join Preventors," Relena said softly, "Once they go over their histories, they can fill it out and apply for a position in the organization."

"They will have to be trained," Quatre said, "It would be odd if they show themselves to be proficient in hand-to-hand combat, but have no idea how to hold a gun or utilize a computer or get on a transport or passenger shuttle. We'll also teach them the modern method of information and stealth, remind them not to utilize _genjutsu_ or _ninjutsu_ or even chakra. Tsunade and Sakura will have to learn modern medicine if they want to be medics, and Kakashi needs to avoid utilizing the _Sharingan_ and the Hyuugas cannot use the _Byakugan_. People who see them will assume they are blind and discriminate against them, since the people of this age know nothing of bloodline limits…"

Quatre smiled sadly. "It's almost like old times… I almost feel as though if I were to run far enough to the north; then soon enough I would find the Academy, and inside would be Ebisu-san and Shikamaru roaring at the children and pelting them with bits of chalk and blackboard erasers as Iruka did…"

Relena's smile began wistful, "But it will never be as it was then," she said sadly. "That time is long past… And none of the Hidden Villages exist anymore…"

"In a sense, the Hidden Villages still do exist," Quatre said, propping his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers together. He propped his chin on top of his interlaced fingers and smiled as he said, "They still exist, on now, they really are Hidden Villages. Hidden Mist is underwater, Hidden Leaf is in a volcano, Hidden Sand and Hidden Stone are underground, Hidden Grass is in a jungle, whether underground or in the trees, I do not know. Hidden Waterfall is exactly as it is called, and it is the same with Hidden Moon."

"I found them once, during some of my missions, but like I said before, they are no longer ninja in the sense that they use _kunai_, _shuriken_, explosive tags, or _chakra_. They remember that there was a time when such things did exist, but only explosive tags are still used today, and they call them," here, Quatre snorted in derision, "They call them letter bombs. _Kunai_ are just knives, and instead of keeping a number on them to throw and attach explosive tags or to pass notes, they use them to stab and cut, and have at most two. What's worse is they have no concept as to the proper use of _shuriken_, and they no longer follow the old ways."

"Times change," Relena said softly. "You yourself don't wholly utilize what you remember from the past."

"I know better than to rely on one trick and one trick alone," Quatre said, "And _genjutsu_ is useless against cameras, though the modern human mind is as malleable as a child's."

"How far we have fallen," Quatre murmured, swiveling his chair to stare out the window. "Once _ninja_ were feared for their skills, now they are feared for the technology that they wield."

"Are we not ninja also?" Relena asked.

"No," Quatre replied, turning his head to look at Relena. "Not in the modern sense. In the old sense, yes, we are ninja, but now… Now we are traditionalists, relying on wires and mirrors and smoke to fulfill our ends. I visited _Konoha_, you know?" he finished, turning his head back out the window.

"Really?" Relena said.

"Aa," Quatre's eyes narrowed, "They built the village inside a volcano, and protected it with several layers of stone and gundanium. They even have the Memorial Stone, and it is in the center square. They carve the names of the fallen on it still… When I think of it, I get so mad… What would our predecessors say if they could only see how far our people have fallen?"

A quiet knock sounded, and the door opened to reveal Dorothy. "I found out something interesting," she said lightly.

"Oh?" Relena asked, "And what is it?"

"You know that Zechs came back from his mission three days ago and that Sally is having him spend the next two weeks in the HQ Hospital?"

Quatre and Relena nodded and Quatre said, "What about it?"

Dorothy frowned. "Zechs has had several interesting dreams; I didn't want to mention it in case it was just a coincidence, but I think, maybe…"

"Spit it out, Dorothy!" Relena snapped.

Dorothy blinked and held up her hands in surrender and back away slightly. "Alright, alright, don't get testy…" She coughed slightly and said, "I think Zechs might be Gekkyou Hayate."

Quatre's eyebrows furrowed in thought. "The examiner of the third exam for the _Chunnin_ Exam that the famed Konoha 12 first participated in?"

"That one," Dorothy affirmed.

"Relena, I leave it to you to find out if this is true or not," Quatre said, "If so, then all the better for us. We'll need all the help we can get to get the others acquainted with this era and to get used to their new lives. Dorothy, keep an eye on Noin, Sally, and Une."

Clear turquoise eyes darkened. "It's quite the coincidence that so many of our people are showing signs now of all times, and especially with so many in Preventors. We won't awaken them if we don't have to, but there is no harm in being cautious. Even if we won't need them now, we may need them in the future."

"_Yochigan_?" Dorothy asked.

"No," Quatre's eyes cleared and he smiled gently. "I highly doubt that the All-Seeing Eye will be needed in this era, and even then, nothing the _Yochigan_ shows me is ever set in stone. Humans are far too unpredictable for that. The only fate that we can accurately predict is death, and even then, there is margin for error."

Relena paused. "Do you think Noin might be Yugao?"

"It's possible," Quatre slouched in his seat in a manner reminiscent of Uchiha Sasuke, dipping his head so only his eyes were visible, staring out at the two women. "Even then, I could see the soul bond between them. Soul mates are rarely found too far away from one another, and I can just about guarantee that even if Noin is not Yugao, then the texture of her soul is similar enough that Zechs would be attracted to her."

"You know quite a bit," Dorothy chuckled.

Quatre paused and said softly, "One who has lost a portion of their soul never feel complete until both halves are reunited once more."

His eyes closed and he continued, "It's been a long time… If Noin is Yugao and Zechs is Hayate, then I wish them the best, and I would let them be unless we absolutely need them. It's a pity Meiran died though; it would have been nice to have Tenten fighting with us again."

"Quatre," Relena said, "It did manifest, didn't it? That's how you know…"

"_Life goes on and on, we'll love each other in the shadows of time_…" he sang softly. "It formed when I became aware of the bond, being in such close proximity with Kakashi as his student, and it manifested when I was reborn and couldn't feel his soul in this world."

"Even then, you dare not approach him, not knowing if he will come to you because you were once Uzumaki Naruto, not knowing if you are going to him because of your memory…" Dorothy murmured.

"A painful existence for one who bears the impossible _Yochigan_," Relena murmured. "Fate just loves using your soul as a punching bag doesn't it?"

_**---**"I will never trust in Fate again!" the Rokudaime cried, clutching the portrait of the shattered Team 7 to his chest tears of blood running down his face, the seven pronged star of the Yochigan rotating in his eyes. "I will suffer the Yochigan, I will suffer this broken existence, but I will never suffer Fate again!"**---**_

Relena swallowed hard, her eyes filling with tears. "I miss the old days," she whispered, "I miss our village and our people, I miss knowing that we each had our place, that no matter what we could do something, even if there was no hope… I miss the _Sandaime_ and the _Yondaime_, I miss seeing the _Godaime_ send Jiraiya through the walls of the _Hokage_ Tower for being an idiot, I miss serving our _Rokudaime_… I miss knowing that I can do something for our _Hokage_…"

"If they had arrived earlier," Quatre whispered, "There simply isn't enough ambient _chakra_ circulating the world anymore…"

"But we can also channel our own _chakra_ into the seal to activate it, right?" Relena asked.

Quatre gave her an incredulous look. "Do you have any idea how much _chakra_ that would take?"

"The _Kyuubi_ could supply it," Dorothy said. "If I remember correctly, you gave it a corporeal form for a few days when we moved against _Kiri_."

"It's a possibility," Quatre said, "But even the _Kyuubi's_ well has an end."

"We'll never know if we don't try."

"It'll take a while to prepare," Quatre murmured, "And even a single atom could throw off and destroy the entire field. We'd have to kill ourselves and send our souls back in time, but it would have to be exact if we want to meld with our former selves…"

"At the very least, we can try," Relena said, "Legend has always said that the bearers of the All-Seeing Eye have power with Fate. Destiny cannot hope to burden you as she has without you gaining some credit for use…"

"I don't know if we have that much power," Quatre said, "But you're right. We should try at the very least."

"And the other pilots?" Dorothy said. "You're not going to attempt this without letting them know? And they may want to come also."

"We can't create a gigai for them," Quatre said, "We simply don't have that capability." He paused, "But I will let them know what we will be attempting… Without giving them a chance to protest."

Silence fell inside the office. Outside, a white bird flew past the window toward the afternoon sun…


	9. Unseen Ages

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 8: Unseen Ages

The main ballroom in the Winner Estate in Kyoto, Japan was lit only by the light of the crystal chandeliers. The windows and walls were covered in plywood paneling covered with white silk. The dance floor of black, navy, grey and white marble tiles set in the pattern of a seven pronged star in the center of a circle was covered by a layer of white silk over which plywood paneling was laid. A single sheet of white silk covered the wood, and was pinned down to form a seamless cylinder of white silk.

Dorothy, dressed in a white gown, her hair pulled into a single braid over her shoulder, carefully inked out the lines and circles of the seal onto the silk covered walls and floor. The servant's door opened and Relena and Quatre walked in, both dressed in white. The two picked up brushes, dipped them in ink, and swiftly began to ink in the characters and symbols of the seal, working their way from the center, out.

Several hours later, the three left the room, locking the door securely behind them. The last thing they needed was for their hard word to get ruined by some imbecile who had no idea what the seal was for. Quatre bit his thumb, drawing blood, reached deep inside himself, and his hands flashed through a series of seals and he pressed his hands to the floor. There was a puff of _chakra_ smoke, and a nine-tailed fox appeared.

"Guard the room, _Kyuubi_," Quatre said, "If things go well, we may be able to change many things…" His eyes closed and his voice became wistful, "And the things that are so precious may last longer…"

"Heh… I wish you the best of luck, brat," the _Kyuubi_ answered, and he vanished into the shadows.

"I have something to say," Quatre said suddenly one day in the library.

Instantly, the _shinobi_ and the other Gundam Pilots turned their heads toward the blonde. Quatre rarely said things so abruptly, and anyone who ever knew even a little about the blonde listened when he did make one such announcement, especially since it was likely important.

"Dorothy, Relena and I are going to attempt an experiment that may help our misplaced guests return home."

Silence…

"I don't know what will happen or if we will succeed since most of this has been mostly theory and there have been no records of anyone attempting it. Obviously, there are also no records of anyone surviving this attempt…"

"Hell no, no way are we letting you attempt something like this alone!" Duo yelled.

Quatre smiled sweetly, and said in a calm voice, "Of course, I'm not attempting this alone. I have the _Kyuubi_ supplying the _chakra_."

"Demons don't count, Naruto!" Kakashi protested.

Quatre's eyes narrowed and the Gundam Pilots took a reflexive step back. "Does it matter? The _Kyuubi_ was a great help in the past, and unlike most other demon lords, the _Kyuubi_ actually keeps his word." He brightened, though his eyes remained clouded with unknown pain and sorrow, "We came to an understanding a long time ago. He helps me with several projects, I give him a temporary corporeal body, but the only weapons he has are his teeth and claws. All the _chakra_ stays in the seal, so he's all but harmless."

"All but harmless!" Jiraiya spluttered, "Are you trying to kill us all?! I knew you were reckless, but this just crosses into insane!"

"This coming from the man who writes erotica for a hobby," Quatre retorted.

"At least my dream wasn't to die!"

Quatre's shoulders stiffened, and his features became cool and his eyes blanked out.

"Er… I have to do some work on the 'Sythe… hehe…" Duo said, dashing out of the library.

"I need to train," Wufei all but ran out of the room.

Trowa and Heero said nothing and made a hasty retreat. No one who had seen Quatre at his worst wanted to be near him when his face became completely blank.

"Quatre?" Iruka said, hesitantly. "Is it true? Did Naruto really want to die?"

"It is true, there was once a time," Quatre said softly, his eyes distant and wistful, "that Naruto wanted to die. But then he stole a scroll, and the _chunin_ who found him gave him the hope to live on…" He turned his eyes onto Jiraiya, "Naruto learned to live, to love, but Jiraiya… Have _you_ accepted your place in this great tapestry of Fate's?"

Jiraiya blinked. "I-I…Naruto…"

Quatre's lips curved in a knowing smile. "I thought not. Have a good day, Jiraiya-sama," he said, and left the room.

Hinata stared after the boy and whispered, "He's not Naruto-kun anymore…"

Kakashi stood still, staring after the blonde. "Naruto…"

Neiji frowned, then said, "I thought he didn't believe in Fate?"

Tsunade sighed. "A Yochigan bearer is bound to fate and is the shuttle and needle that forms the tapestry. They alter the tapestry and bring it back to its proper course when it begins to stray."

The next day dawned bright and early, and there was no sign of Quatre. When asked, the Maganacs replied that Quatre had left that morning for an emergency conference concerning the deteriorating situation between Greece and Austria.

"Geez…" Tsunade said, sitting down in the library next to Iruka, "He's always running off for these emergency conferences… I don't know how he can deal with all these political problems at his age."

"Apparently, he's the Prince of L4," Iruka said absently. "I overheard one of his people talking about it the other day. Quatre is a figurehead for peace here. The son and Heir of a renowned and highly wealthy family, a Gundam Pilot who fought for peace, and the head of a powerful and vast business empire, he's very well known to the public as both a competent businessman and politician. Other politicians and businessmen are wary of him because of his history as a soldier in the war, and his ruthless attitude as a Gundam Pilots sometimes shows in his dealings in the conference rooms." He glanced up and smiled at the slack jawed Tsunade, "Or so I've heard."

"You heard correctly," Wufei said, "If Quatre goes missing, relations with the Colonies become strained. The same goes for Relena, only on a bigger scale. The last time they both went missing at the same time, the Earth-sphere and the Colonies were throwing around a lot of accusations. If we hadn't resolved the problem as quickly as we had, and returned Relena and Quatre from hiding when we did, we would have had a full scale war going on… Again… They are both very important to the maintenance of peace. The time when they die or retire will be the true test of the treaties and policies that they've pushed forward."

Quatre returned to the mansion late that evening, and barricaded himself in the study.

Inside, he pressed a button, and a bookshelf trembled and rotated soundlessly, revealing a mini-bar. Wordlessly, Quatre poured himself a drink, walked over to his desk, and plopped into the seat, his back to the window, and the glass doors to the balcony behind him toward his left. The red wine in the glass rippled slightly with the movement. He cocked his head slightly as he sensed a ripple of _chakra_ at the window.

"Is there something you need, Kakashi?" He asked,

"What are you planning?" Kakashi said softly.

"How much do you know about the _Yochigan_?"

Kakashi frowned as he slipped into the study and moved to stand behind the blonde. "It is a _dojutsu_ that is dormant in the male heirs and active in the females of the Kazama Clan and allows the bearer to see the future."

Quatre tilted the glass slightly and watched the red liquid swirl and answered, "The _Yochigan_ allows the bearer to penetrate the veils of time, and gives the user some power over the threads of fate. A _Yochigan_ user can alter the threads of the people around them, changing them for good or ill, to save or kill, and to heal or cripple. Occasionally, it will give a male heir a flash of "Insight" allowing them a brief moment in which their eyes can penetrate the veil of time to see what may be."

Kakashi hmmed, and said, "What does that have to do with what you're planning?"

Quatre pushed the chair away from the desk, turning so he faced Kakashi. His lips curved in an indulgent smile that the silver haired _jounin_ found familiar, and for a brief moment, the image of another blonde with clear blue eyes and whisker-like scars on both cheeks superimposed itself over the Sandrock pilot's face. As quickly as the image came, it vanished, and Kakashi felt a pang of longing for the lover he had unwillingly left behind.

"I want to see if I can send you back."

"What?"

"Naruto suffered much in his lifetime," Quatre clarified, "When his revenge against Orochimaru was complete, there was nothing to hold him in _Konoha_. His other friends tried, but they couldn't keep him there. Once the people that he lived for were gone, he couldn't help but to want to die. Even as _Hokage_, the village feared his power, feared that the _Kyuubi_ could break free, and without the people he loved to be there to anchor him in reality, the fragile threads of his sanity frayed and snapped. He was a good _Hokage_, and the village prospered under him, but he was insane, and he knew it, and so, he wanted to die. The lack of desire to live was what actually killed him. To be precise, the Apoptosis was far more extensive and killed him much faster than it should have, mostly because he lacked the will to live."

"You can't blame us for that," Kakashi said.

"And I am not," Quatre said, sipping the wine, "I blame Orochimaru. For all that I am not Naruto, I still have his soul and his memories." He set the glass absently on the desk and raised pained eyes to Kakashi's and said, "I find my self continuously referring to myself as Naruto in my own thoughts, even now, and the _Yochigan_ which should not exist due to the death of the Kazama line so long ago proves it. It's not healthy, you know, to reconcile two sets of memories, to live in two different times, to be two different people at once. Things turned out in a way that it shouldn't have, and there is still hope, because it is in my own power to send you back to change things for the better."

Kakashi crossed the few yards between them and pulled the blonde close. Quatre stiffened and relaxed.

They stayed that way until Quatre said, "I may refer to myself that way most of the time, but I'm not him you know."

"I know," Kakashi whispered. "But I can't help…"

Quatre pulled away slightly and placed his hand on Kakashi's face. "I know… But you can change things… The future does not have to end in sorrow…"

Kakashi's arms tightened around Quatre's waist, and the two stayed like that until a knock sounded at the door.

"What is it?" Quatre called, pulling away.

"Welcome back, Master Quatre," Fatima called, "I thought you would like something to eat?"

Quatre crossed the room swiftly and unlocked and opened the door, smiling. "Something light will be fine. I have some things to take care of before I go to bed."

Fatima nodded. "Be sure to get plenty of rest, Master Quatre. I'll let the others know to let you lie in in the morning."

Quatre smiled. "Thanks Fatima."

Fatima paused and murmured, "It's taking its toll isn't it?"

Quatre smiled sadly. "It hurts, Fatima… I missed them for so long, and now that they're here… Now that they're here, everything feels so… Wrong…"

Fatima pulled the blonde into a hug. "Everything will be fine. The All-Seeing-Eye can change everything."

Quatre nodded as she released him. "How is _Kyuubi_?"

"Master _Kyuubi_ went out to hunt. Some of the others are watching the ballroom until he gets back."

Quatre nodded and Fatima turned to leave. "Fatima!" The woman paused. "We'll be doing it tomorrow evening. The gundanium cuffs are in the hanger in locker E12."

Fatima nodded and hurried away, pushing away the urge to cry. She knew what was necessary to work the seal… Any summoning would require a sacrifice, and to summon a god would require a soul.

Fatima gave her orders to the servants in the kitchen and made sure the tray was delivered promptly. That done, Shizune's reincarnation fled into her rooms and allowed the tears to flow freely.

The Gundam Pilots woke the next morning to find themselves chained hand and foot to their respective beds. Heero and Duo in particular found that their entire body had been restrained, making it impossible for them to pull a disappearing act. They all knew what was happening. Quatre was going through with his harebrained experiment, and didn't want them to interfere.


	10. Endless Waltz

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 9: Endless Waltz

Relena slipped wordlessly into the ballroom, and studied the seal. Dorothy and Quatre entered behind her and they stood there, staring at the mass of lines and characters.

"I want us to succeed," Relena said, "And I know we have a high chance of making this work, but I… I have a bad feeling about this…"

"We should have some safeguards in place," Dorothy said.

"We'll meet the day after our arrival at the cenotaph at training ground 7, at sunset," Quatre said.

"And what about a passcode?" Relena asked, "So we know it's not just a coincidence."

"Our names and the positions we held in this age," Dorothy said.

Quatre blinked. "Pardon?"

"Our passcode," Dorothy elaborated, "It should be the identities and positions we hold in this age."

"Ahh, yes…" Relena rolled her eyes as Quatre smiled wanly, "Something only we would know…"

"How to go about it?" Relena mused. "We can snap their necks, but what about us? Even a single drop of blood would beak the temporal transit field, and goodness only knows what will happen…"

"Poison will do the trick," Quatre murmured, "But what poison is a swift enough killer?"

"I have a better idea," Dorothy said suddenly, attracting curious looks from Relena and Quatre. "I propose that the three of us go back alone and leave the others here. If we succeed, then it won't matter, because in essence, this future wouldn't exist, so we wouldn't be abandoning them. If we fail, at least Fatima, the Maganacs, and the other pilots can help them adjust to living in this age."

Quatre frowned. "To do that, we'll have to act quickly, since the sudden surge of _Kyuubi's chakra_ will bring everyone down here in a panic…"

"Is that a yes?" Relena asked.

Quatre closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again, his voice and eyes determined. "For my precious people, I will do anything."

Relena and Dorothy nodded and Quatre summoned the _Kyuubi_ from the seal. Dorothy began to set up the crystals along the circle, while Relena inked out the activation seals. Once that was done, the _Kyuubi_ lay down in the center and began channeling _chakra_ into the seal and crystals. The three blondes began forming hand seals, their hands flashing through the seals in a rhythm beyond that which had been theirs in the past. They formed the last seal, Relena, the Dragon, Dorothy, the Rooster, and Quatre, the Tiger and slammed their hands into the line of the circle they stood in and began channeling _chakra_ into the crystals.

The blue of raw _chakra_ and the red of demonic _chakra_ swirled around them. Quatre reached for Relena and in one swift motion, snapped her neck, and gently lowererd the body to the ground. He turned toward Dorothy, his eyes brimming with tears and reached for her. Dorothy smiled reassuringly and in a swift motion, Quatre snapped her neck and lowered her body. He breathed deeply and reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle and uncorked it, swiflty swallowing its contents. As he sank to the ground, he saw the door fly open as seven bleary eyes ninja swarmed into the room.

Then, there was only darkness...

* * *

It was dark… Quatre stirred and the scent of anesthesia and painkillers reached his nose. There was something covering his eyes and were wrapped along his arms and legs as well as his torso. The blonde pilot frowned. He had had many wounds before in the past, but never one that necessitated the covering of his eyes.

"Ah…" a familiar voice, rough with age and worry said from beside him, "Are you awake then? I'm glad. I thought you wouldn't make it for a while there…"

"Who is there?" he said, his body tense. If it was an enemy, he was screwed, especially considering that his poor condition.

"It's _Sandaime_," the aged voice said, "Remember?"

"_Sandaime_?" Quatre murmured. '_It worked!_' was the thought running through his mind. "What's wrong with my eyes?"

_Sandaime_ frowned, though Quatre… no, Naruto couldn't see it. "That's what I was hoping you could tell me, Naruto," he said. "Do you remember anything about how you got to be in this state?"

Naruto hesitated. What would he say? He certainly couldn't tell the _Sandaime_ the truth… "I don't know," he said finally. "I can't remember…"

The _Sandaime_ nodded, unconvinced. He knew the blonde troublemaker well enough to know that the boy was lying. "Very well. The doctors suggest you leave the bandages on for a while longer."

Naruto nodded, and faintly, he heard the quiet rustle of cloth as the _Sandaime_ stood up and walked over to the door.

"There is a button next to you to call a nurse if you need anything," _Sandaime_ said.

Naruto nodded, and after several seconds, there was the sound of the door opening and closing. Naruto leaned back against the pillows and frowned.

* * *

A week later found a dark haired woman dressed in a beige trench coat and a heavily scarred man in black meeting at what was known as training ground 7 at sunset near the Memorial of Heroes.

Ibiki paused and said, "If someone is eavesdropping, I'll be ridiculed for the rest of my life. In AC 197, I am a woman known as Catalonia Dorothy, secretary and confidant of Relena Dorlian Peacecraft and cousin to Treize Kushrenada. I attempted to kill Pilot 04 during the Eve Wars."

Anko sighed. "In AC 197, I am Relena Dorlian Peacecraft, Princess of Sanq and Queen of Earth. I am an advocate for absolute pacifism with an obsession over Pilot 01 until I got some sense knocked into me when my memories were woken." She shook her head. "Where's Naruto?"

"Hospital," Ibiki grunted. "I paid him a visit this morning. The doctors have him tied down so he can't escape and his eyes are bandaged since there was an accident that apparently damaged his sight. He remembers everything, I made sure."

"Then why the hell did we meet here?"

"Because you didn't go to the hospital to meet with Quatre…Er… Naruto."

"So sue me, I was away on a mission."

"We have two hours before visiting hours are over."

"Good idea."

A moment later, the training ground was empty.

* * *

Naruto tugged irritably at the restraints, vaguely wishing for Duo to appear with his usual smile and cheery, "Hey Q-ball!" before setting him loose. Unfortunately for him, Naruto thought irritably, they had taken Dorothy's—no, Ibiki's idea and had gone back themselves, so there was no Duo to make a timely appearance to let him free of his restraints. Faintly, he sensed two _chakras_ which he had become very well acquainted with over the years approach, and he relaxed into the mattress as the door opened.

Ibiki and Anko stepped inside, and Anko suppressed a snicker.

"Four hundred years and several reincarnations, and we loose all of our precious ability as _shinobi_," Naruto said dryly, "Ironic isn't it?"

"I don't really think we melded with our previous selves at all," Anko said. "Our memories of the past, or in this case, the future, should have started getting blurry by this point, while our memories of this age and incarnation should have doubled in strength and clarity, right?"

"That was the idea," Naruto said. "By the way, let me out?"

Ibiki snorted. "_Rokudaime_, remember?"

"I'm a child!" Naruto whined. "I don't know how far back we are, or whether or not I'm enrolled in the Academy yet!"

"Good thing his eyes are covered," Anko said amusedly.

"Yes," Ibiki nodded, "We wouldn't stand a chance against his eyes otherwise."

Naruto pouted and sat up, rubbing his wrists. "You're mean!"

"But you got free anyway," Anko pointed out.

"Ibiki, how old am I?"

Ibiki raised an eyebrow. "A _shinobi's_ most important ability is…"

"The ability to go about undetected, and to gather accurate information quickly and efficiently, as well as the ability to strike a target without being detected. I know that!" Naruto whined, "But you're the head of the _ANBU_ Torture and Interrogation Division! You should know this stuff off the top of your head!"

Anko snickered and Ibiki threw her a scathing look. He sighed and said, "You're four. Three days ago was the attempted assassination that originally prompted the _Sandaime_ into assigning ANBU to protect you."

Naruto frowned. "I remember that… But at the same time, I don't…" he tilted his head in the direction of the two _Tokubetsu Jounin_, "Did that make any sense at all?"

Anko snorted. "No, but I get what you're trying to say."

Ibiki grunted. "So? Now what?"

"We leave things alone for a while I guess," Naruto said, "and hope for the best while we make several alterations… _ANBU_ can leave the _Sandaime_ anonymous messages about their thoughts about the village, right? So Ibiki, draw up a list of the traitors and the Sound spies, as well as their current specs. Anko, draw up a list of unattached _nuke-nin_ who might be convinced to temporarily or permanently join _Konoha_, as well as the _shinobi_ best suited to converting them to our cause."

"_Hai, Rokudaime-sama_!" the two said, softly enough that they would not be heard by anyone else, then vanished.

Naruto sat still, his lips curved in a dangerous smile. "Enjoy yourself while you still can, Orochimaru," he whispered, "Because the Oracle has returned to _Konoha_…" and the bandages slowly stained red…

* * *

_Sandaime_ entered the room and studied the boy in the bed, his face turned toward the window. He sat down in the chair next to the bed and said, "The doctors tell me that your eyes suddenly started bleeding for currently unknown reasons."

Naruto nodded and said, "I know."

"Is there something you want to tell me?"

Naruto hesitated and shook his head. "No."

"You'll be free to go in a few days. If your eyes start bleeding again, however, you'll find yourself confined to the hospital for a while longer."

"I understand."

_Sandaime_ stiffened, and he sighed. "I know it must be difficult for you, surviving an assassination by someone who was supposed to take care of you. But Naruto, don't let these things consume you."

Naruto cocked his head toward the _Sandaime_ and said, "I'm not supposed to be able to see with the bandages on, but I still see weird things."

_Sandaime_ frowned and leaned forward. "And what do you see, Naruto?"

Naruto frowned, scrunching up his nose. "A man in a forest with black hair and pale skin and eyes like a snake and a long tongue. He bit a boy with black hair that looks like a chicken's head in the neck and left a bruise that looks like three dots. There is a girl with pink hair near him screaming, and another boy in orange pinned to a tree. Then the man says, "He will seek me. He will come to me for power." And he disappears and then the girl yells my name and tells me to come quickly because Sasuke is hurt…" he cocked his head toward the _Sandaime_. "Why am I seeing that? And who is this… Sasuke and why does the girl know me, because I don't know her…"

_Sandaime_ closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair. He sighed, opened his eyes and said, "That is the bloodline of your father's family. What you are seeing is likely the images of what is to come, and the girl and boy may be your future teammates when you become _gennin_."

"But why am I seeing this?" Naruto cried.

* * *

Outside, Ibiki and Anko smiled slightly. Naruto was putting on a good act. Anyone who didn't know that this was staged would never know that Naruto knew exactly what he was doing and what to say and how to say it in order to get the _Sandaime_ to react. The two _tokubetsu jounin_ nodded and left. Their _Rokudaime_ could take care of the rest. They had their own tasks to take care of…

* * *

The _Sandaime_ sighed again and said, "Perhaps because something has happened that is not woven in the Tapestry o Fate. The All-Seeing-Eyes of the Kazama clan are known only to manifest in daughters, but because there are no Kazama Daughters left to be the Oracle, The eyes manifested in a Kazama son." The _Sandaime_ stood up and walked to the window, gazing toward the _Hokage_ Monument, visible in the distance. "The _Yochigan_, the Eyes if the Oracle, the All-Seeing-Eyes, is a _dojutsu_ that made the Kazama clan the most powerful and feared of all clans, and their eyes are the most desirable. To be able to penetrate the veil of time and view what was, what is, and what may come to pass, that is the _kekkai genkai_ of the Kazama clan, a _dojutsu_ that is only active in the daughters, and lies dormant in the blood of the sons. Naruto, you must never channel your chakra into your eyes without need, and neither are you to let anyone to know that you possess the Eyes of the Oracle. Your eyes are precious, for the Kazama clan has never exceeded six members, and you are the last of your clan."

Naruto nodded and the _Sandaime_ continued, "You must let me know when you See, Naruto, or we will not be able to prevent any catastrophes that your eyes may predict. It is very important."

Naruto nodded. The Sandaime rose. "I have to go. Remember what I have told you."

"Alright," Naruto murmured. The door opened and closed, and a few minutes later, Ibiki and Anko stepped inside.

"Well?" Anko said.

"That went better than I thought," Naruto admitted. He leaned against the pillows and murmured, "History is like an endless waltz, forever following a three, four beat of revolution, war and peace…"

Ibiki reached out and patted the blonde's shoulder. "Get some rest. You're four years old now."

Naruto groaned. "Stop reminding me dammit!"

The two _jounin_ laughed, and after a few seconds of pouting, Naruto joined into the laughter. Outside, a gentle wind blew and a white bird flew past the window toward the sun…


	11. The Board is Set

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 10: The Board is Set

Fatima dropped from the ceiling as the ballroom doors were thrown open by the seven misplaced _ninja_. She fell into a defensive stance as her hands glowed with _chakra_.

"I cannot allow you to pass," she said calmly. "A single displaced object with mass can cause the temporal field to collapse and rip Master Quatre's soul to shreds. I cannot allow that."

"That _chakra_…" Tsunade said, "Shizune?"

The web _chakra_ flared white and vanished, leaving three corpses lying in the center of the seals. Fatima relaxed and released the _chakra_.

"It is done," she said, "Now you can no longer interfere. Master Quatre laid out detailed plans involving your integration into the society of the modern era. Please do not fight us; it will be easier for everyone if you cooperate."

Seven Maganacs appeared and clamped cloths soaked in chloroform over the ninja's faces. Taken by surprise, they could only succumb to the influence of the drug. Fatima nodded and the Maganacs carried away the limp forms of the seven ninja.

Fatima raised her hand to her ear and said softly into the microphone, "Lock down the residential wing as planned. I'll be up there in a few minutes."

She lowered her hand and turned, her eyes turned toward the three figures in the center of the seals. "For the Golden Era you envisioned, _Rokudaime_-_sama_," she said, closing her eyes, "I will do everything in my power to see your plans to fruition." She opened determined eyes, "I will see the Gundam Pilots and the necessary equipment to your side at all costs!"

Three Maganacs appeared behind her and she waved her hand. "Take good care of the bodies, Master Quatre's in particular. If we need to send the other pilots, we will need Master's Quatre's eyes to trace his soul through time."

The Maganacs nodded, and carefully picked up the bodies and carried them away. Fatima walked over to the far wall and closed her fist over a portion of silk and tore it off the wall. She reached into a pocket, pulled out a kunai and jammed it into the seam and pried the plywood off the wall and flung open the shutters. She stood before the large windows, her shadow stretching behind her in the morning light, her eyes turned toward the sky.

"I wish you luck, Naruto…" she whispered.

The wind blew and carried a swirl of leaves and flower petals through the air, and a flock of birds rose from the forest in the distance and took to the sky…

* * *

_Sandaime_ frowned as he read the contents of the scroll. The list contained information that was not often seen in the public records, leaving him with the impression that it had come from the _ANBU_ Torture and Interrogation Division, most likely the Criminal Profiling Department. He sighed and set down the scroll. There was no use in trying to find out who had left it. He had made a point of allowing the members of _ANBU_ to leave anonymous messages after all.

He glanced at the time and stood up. It was time to visit Naruto.

* * *

_Sandaime_ paused at the door and peeked inside. Naruto was propped up against the pillows again, his face turned toward the window. The lack of outward response was worrisome to the Third, especially since the usually energetic blonde seemed to have lost his luster. The _Sandaime_ shook the thoughts away and opened the door.

"The doctors and nurses tell me that you're not resting," he said as he entered.

Naruto shook his head. "It's difficult to rest when all I see is pain… I see the Nine-Tails and I see the village in flames. I see the mountains of corpses and the streets running red with blood, and I hear the cries of the dying and the voices of the children as they are carried away by ninja as they watch their parents get cut down…"

_Sandaime_ felt his heart clench. "Naruto…"

"Make it stop!" Naruto cried, turning toward the _Sandaime_ and reaching out blindly. "I don't want to see it anymore! Make it stop!"

_Sandaime_ drew the child close, gently rubbing his back as he felt the child's body shake with silent sobs. "Oh, Naruto…" he whispered, "I wish I could, but I don't have that power…"

He felt Naruto's breathing slowly even out, and carefully laid him down and tucked him in. _Sandaime_ watched child as he slept, and brushed a lock of golden hair aside.

"Naruto…" he said softly, "No one understands the burden you carry… With the added burden of the _Yochigan_… I wish I could lighten the weight on your shoulders, Naruto, but it's simply not in my power…"

* * *

Outside the room, Anko sighed. "I feel bad for manipulating the _Sandaime_ like this… As if he didn't have enough to worry about…"

Ibiki frowned. "I know. But you know, if we do succeed, it will be worth it. Who knows, we may be able to save the _Sandaime_ this time around. Naruto's sanity started deteriorating after the _Sandaime_ died, and Sasuke's defection was the trigger that pushed him over the limit."

Anko glared at Ibiki and said, "You pushed for us to come alone not so we could save _Konoha_, but so Naruto wouldn't become the sacrificial doll that brought us our victory over the Sound, didn't you?"

Ibiki paused and said, "Honestly? Yes. His light is so fragile, that loosing the first person who truly cared dampened it, and then loosing the person he saw as a brother all but extinguished it. In the past, I would look to Naruto and see the innocence inside him, and I would remember why I became the head of the _ANBU_ Torture and Interrogation Division. I became a cruel man and a merciless interrogator to enemy _nin_ and spies to protect the light of the children, the light of the _Yondaime's_ Legacy. His light was always precious, and even though I know that most of that his life had pushed him to grow and mature faster than most other children, that he had enough strength to act like a naïve and innocent child… It gave me hope when I was drowning in despair and self-loathing." He closed his eyes. "I don't want to loose that light again. That is why, when I woke, I stayed close to Quatre's side."

Anko paused and placed a hand on his arm. "I understand." She smiled. "Let's go. The _Sandaime_ is coming out."

Ibiki nodded, and when the door opened, the hall was empty.

* * *

Fatima carefully inspected each piece of equipment that went into the bags. She made sure that the equipment necessary to keep the guns in working order were packed along with extra ammunition. Once the bags were packed, she put them away, and went to the ballroom to check the seals that were being inked into the second layer of silk.

Quatre had left behind several crystals that he had imbued with the _Kyuubi's chakra_ over the years, as well as the layout for a second set of seals that would send objects with mass through time. He expected the Gundam Pilots to be sent with the necessary equipment into the past just before he left for Wave Country so that Ibiki and Anko could have them adjusted to the lifestyle and plan of _Konoha_ by the _Chunnin_ Exams.

"For the Golden Era _Rokudaime-sama_ has envisioned," she whispered, "I will do anything…"

* * *

A month after Naruto revealed the Yochigan to the Sandaime, he was allowed to remove the bandages. The blonde was quite happy until he realized that his eyes had become a pale blue which bordered on white with a thin sliver of gold as the pupil. An obvious sign that he bore the Kazama eyes.

"It's not so bad," Anko said, "You can always hide them."

"Which makes it even more obvious that I am trying to hide something," Naruto said dryly, leaning against the cenotaph in training ground 7, "I should have expected something like this…"

"But you didn't," Ibiki said, "At the very least it shows that you're not completely all knowing, and at the same time, it will keep your pride from getting the best of you."

"Oi, when has my pride ever got the best of me?"

"How about that one time in Bear Country when you…"

"Shut up, Anko!"

Anko coughed and said, "In any case, the Kazama eyes are rarely seen by outsiders. If someone asks, you can always say that you activated a bloodline, which would be true, and the Sandaime has already set it down in the records that you have the Yochigan, and no one under Kage rank can find out anything beyond the fact that it's a dojutsu."

Naruto sighed. "I suppose it was bound to happen, but now there is no way to hide my Kazama heritage. But all the better, Uchiha Itachi proved to be loyal to the Kazama Clan till the very end, sacrificing his life for mine when he saw that I bore the Kazama eyes." He closed his eyes. "The board is set," he said, opening them, "The pieces are in place. Now, we wait. I'll use the Voice of the Oracle to summon you when time comes."

"Hai, Rokudaime-sama!" Anko and Ibiki vanished.

Naruto sighed and straightened. He turned his eyes to the Hokage monument and said, "Can you see me, Father? What would you say if you could see what I am doing? Would you be proud or disgusted with me?"

A breeze clew past, and Naruto shook his head and vanished. Three lilies lay at the foot of the cenotaph, the only sign that anyone had been there at all…


	12. The Cavalry has Arrived!

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**An Author's Note Just to Clarify Why I Had the Pilots Tied Down if They were Going to be Sent Later On Anyway:** Go to my xanga for it. I'm not putting it here. The address is in my profile.

**Very Important A/N:** Parts of this chapter is written using a more loose writing style that I usually use in my outlines. The story was getting a bit too serious so I decided to insert some comic relief! XD Anyway, I was on a caffeine high when I wrote this chapter so when I came back to my senses, I rewrote the entire thing. For the looser version of this chapter, go to my xanga. The Address is in my profile.

Chapter 11: The Cavalry has Arrived!

The years passed slowly in _Konoha_, and Naruto's _Yochigan_ proved less manageable than in his previous experience. Already, he was drawn further into the tapestry of time, and only Ibiki and Anko's steady and unwavering support anchored him to the here and now. Naruto, however, flawlessly played the part of the child who was thrust unwillingly into the position of _Jinchuuriki_ and Oracle. Whereas in the past he had been treated like scum, there were now the murmurings of pity from the villagers. He could hear the speculation of how heartbreaking it must have been for the _Yondaime_ to have lost his young bride, and how he must have fought himself to have made the decision to sacrifice his child to be their guardian, knowing that he would not be there to protect him.

Unseen lips twisted in a wry smile.

Hypocrites.

Just two years ago, before his _Yochigan_ "Manifested" the villagers and the council had been all for his execution "before the _Kyuubi_ could take over". Then the _Yochigan_ was manifested, and the assassins from his father's enemies came, and the village rallied to his banner and name.

They created a living wall to guard their precious last Kazama whose eyes they coveted above all else, above even the precious _Byakugan_ and _Sharingan_.

Fools.

The year he turned six was the year the Cloud sent an envoy to _Konoha_ under the pretence of creating a peace treaty. Naruto had walked into the Hyuuga compound, the seven pronged star of the active _Yochigan_ spinning in his eyes even as his eyes bled, and he had declared before the Hyuugas of the plot hidden under the treaty. He told them of the Cloud's desire for the famed Hyuuga eyes, their precious _Byakugan_, and had all but commanded them to stay their hand against the trespasser when he came for the sake of their clan. Hyuuga Hiashi proved himself distrusting of the young Oracle's words, and killed the Cloud _jounin_, and as he had said, the Cloud demanded the body of Hyuuga Hiashi in payment.

Naruto turned his back on the Hyuugas after that, and his All-Seeing-Eyes were turned toward the Uchiha, to watch the tragedy of the Massacre unfold.

He made no attempt to prevent the massacre, despite knowing that many of the Uchihas were civilian. It was justice, dispensed by an Uchiha to the Uchihas at the order of the _Sandaime_. It was justice. The Uchihas, after all, desired to over throw the _Sandaime_, and treachery was unforgivable. It was justice.

He did not speak for Itachi, knowing full well the prodigy's loyalty lay with the blood of the _Yondaime_, and before leaving the village, Itachi swore an oath of loyalty to the Oracle with Morino Ibiki and Mitarashi Anko as witnesses. None of the four ever spoke of the incident afterwards, and the incident was lost in the mists of time.

Naruto's only reassurance was in Iruka, who saw beyond the _Kyuubi_ and the Kazama eyes, and saw the child struggling with two unwanted burdens. Granted that it was all complete bullshit… (Come to think of it, everything about Naruto seemed to be bullshit this time around…)But Iruka was still there for him. And another anchor to the present was sunk deeply into the foundations of his mind and soul.

Kakashi was as absent from his childhood as he remembered, though he was well aware of the Copy-_nin_ as he entered late at night and sat by his side for hours, just watching him sleep. Not that Naruto got much rest. Even in sleep, the _Yochigan_ was active, which had not been the case the last time around.

But the more things change, the more things stayed the same, and Naruto was once again ranked in the lower percentile of the class, and despite his Kazama eyes, there were still those who saw only the _Kyuubi_. Then, the day he turned 12, things began to change.

Fatima smiled happily as the four pilots got into position in the seal, their bags slung over their shoulders. Seven motorbikes were around them, one for each of the pilots, and the other three for the three already in the past.

"Be careful out there," she said, "The age of the _Ninja_ is more dangerous than the age of the MS. I don't know where the seal will drop you, so we'll have to rely on whether or not Quatre can sense your presence and lead Dorothy and Relena to you. Keep in mind that they will be in the vessels that they bore in that lifetime, so they will look vastly different. The passcode will be the identities of Quatre, Relena, and Dorothy in this age. Good luck."

The four boys nodded, and Fatima set down the last of the channeling crystals and the crystals that contained the _Kyuubi's chakra_. She began forming hand seals and slammed her hands into the outer circle of the seal, channeling her _chakra_ into the seal, activating it. A swirl of blue and red _chakra_ appeared, and there was a flash and an explosion, and Fatima was thrown into the wall. The last thing she saw as her vision went dark was the empty ballroom, the painted silks scorched and smoking.

Naruto was having tea with the Hokage on one of their weekly visits when his body jerked and the blonde slumped forward in his seat. Naruto slowly raised his head and all could see his eyes glowing silver. The _Sandaime_ was on his feet instantly, worry etched in his aged features.

And he said, "The Pilots have arrived in the Eastern side of the village, a half hour's journey outside the walls as the crow flies. Catalonia, Dorothy, Peacecraft, Relena Dorlain, Bring them to me…"

His voice was clear and sweet, and bore the likeness of the ringing of many bells, and at the same time, it seemed that he spoke with his singing voice. It was the voice of the Oracle. The blonde's head dropped and his eyes slid shut. A moment passed, and his eyelids fluttered and pale eyes opened.

"Naruto?" _Sandaime_ said.

"Four people arrived in the outskirts of _Konoha_," Naruto said, "Welcome them, _Hokage-sama_, for they will render us aid otherwise invaluable."

"Is that so?" the _Hokage_ murmured. He nodded. "As the Oracle wishes it shall be done. I will send someone to the gates to welcome them."

"It is already done," Naruto said, "Morino Ibiki-san and Mitarashi Anko-san are already on their way. I believe that they should arrive with their guests by sunset at the very latest." He smiled, then frowned and muttered, "Provided that a certain American bouncing braided monkey doesn't decide that he wants food first, in which case we'll be waiting for them until the next century."

_Sandaime_ smiled fondly at the blonde. "I'm sure that's not the case."

Naruto pinned a dead serious gaze on the _Sandaime_. "You've never seen this guy eat. He has a bottomless pit for a stomach. Given the chance, he'll probably eat the Akimichis out of house and home!"

Sarutobi swallowed hard. He knew how the Akimichis ate. Inviting one to dinner required a lot of provender, but for one to be able to eat so much….

"What kind of a monster is this child?"

"One who has suffered much," Naruto murmured, picking up a cup and sipping, "He is so convinced that anyone he gets close to will die that he has begun to call himself the God of Death. He is an excellent assassin, and given the right tools, he can get in and out of a heavily fortified building in a matter of hours. He specializes in stealth and demolitions. Given the proper training, he would be a ninja to be feared. Duo Maxwell… He is not like anyone you'll ever meet, and if you meet in the battlefield, pray that he's not an enemy, because he will show no mercy."

"You sound as if you know him well."

"In a way, yes," Naruto said, sipping his tea. "In a different life, we were very close friends, and I believe that given the chance, we can be friends now."

"And the others?"

"Wait and see."

Ibiki was in his office at _ANBU_ headquarters going through some paperwork when the area around him wavered. He found himself standing in a blurry area that he recognized as the _Sandaime's_ sitting area in the _Hokage_ Tower, which opened out to a view of the _Hokage_ Monument. In front of him were the images of the _Sandaime_ and Naruto, seated at the table, having tea. As Ibiki looked upon Naruto, he percieved that Naruto seemed like transparent glass filled with a pure white light and a voice spoke to him, and he knew that it was the Voice of the Oracle.

"The Pilots have arrived in the Eastern side of the village, a half hour's journey outside the walls as the crow flies. Catalonia, Dorothy, Peacecraft, Relena Dorlain, Bring them to me…"

And then the vision faded. Ibiki slumped back into his chair, and found that he was breathing hard. His body seemed heavy to him, and he felt as though he had been running for days on end without sustenence. He stayed there for a while, and when he felt sufficiently recovered, he left his office. There was much to be done, and very little time in which to complete it.

Anko was in her favorite dango shop when her surroundings shimmered and shifted, and she found herself standing in a room which opened to a view of the Hokage Monument. Her surroundings shimmered, and she could see Naruto and the Hokage nearby. She watched as Naruto jerked, slumped forward, and shifted. His body seemed to change, and it seemed to her that he became transparent as a clear glass, and glowed as though the glass was being filled with a pure white light. Then he spoke in a clear voice that was sweet and bore the likeness of the ringing of many bells.

And he said, "The Pilots have arrived in the Eastern side of the village, a half hour's journey outside the walls as the crow flies. Catalonia Dorothy, Peacecraft Relena Dorlain, Bring them to me…"

The image shimmered and vanished, and Anko shivered in her seat. She paid for her dango and juice, and left. There was work to be done…

As predicted, Ibiki and Anko arrived at the tower with the four guests in tow at sunset. Naruto raised an eyebrow and said, "I was sure that Duo would run off for food before you got here."

Ibiki rolled his eyes and said, "Anko has a habit of throwing kunai indiscriminately, but she never misses her mark."

"In other words," Anko said, grinning happily, "I aimed for the braid and took off several inches while I was at it."

"You people are evil!" Duo whined.

"They even brought bikes," Ibiki said, "I don't know why Fatima sent the bikes. She knows that we don't have gas stations and can't refill the tanks when they hit empty. While we have the bikes here, one, they'll take up space, and two, they're one use only things here."

"Duo insisted," Trowa said softly.

"The more things change," Naruto muttered, shaking his head. "Never mind that," he turned to the Sandaime, "Hokage-sama, meet Yuy Heero, Maxwell Duo, Barton Trowa, and Chang Wufei. Gentlemen, the Third Hokage."

"Welcome to Konoha," Sandaime said.

Naruto smiled. "I'll leave them to you, Hokage-sama. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some things I need to discuss with Morino-san and Mitarashi-san."

The Sandaime nodded, and the two Tokubetsu Jounin and the blonde left.

"Well that was fun," Anko said. "Heero was more trigger happy than usual."

"To be expected," Naruto said, "He was in an unfamiliar place, and he was trained to kill first and ask questions later unless told otherwise."

"He almost killed Ibiki!"

"If Ibiki can't dodge bullet, then he's not much of a ninja is he?"

"I'm right here you know."

"My point exactly," Naruto smiled.

Ibiki rolled his eyes. "Enough. What will we do now?"

"We have diverged quite a bit, but history will not alter its course too much just yet," Naruto said, his eyes distant. "For now, once more, we must wait. The Chunnin Exams will be the next divergence point. That is the most important one that must be taken care of. We must see to it that Tsunade and Jiraiya are both in the village by then, or come hell or high water, the Oracle will drag them to the very gate of the village itself by their ears."

Ibiki and Anko nodded.


	13. The IllFated Team: Genin Squad 7

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 12: The Ill-Fated Team: Genin Squad Seven

Inside the _Hokage_ Tower is a series of residential chambers, where, traditionally, the _Hokage_ and his family resided. This was where important guests, such as foreign _Kages_ were traditionally housed.

The evening of the _Genin_ Exams, however, saw a different use for the chambers. Flowing golden shoulder-blade length tresses glowed in the light of the setting sun as slender hands adjusted the black and silver sash. He turned, and the warm light of the setting sun fell over pale skin, the cheekbones enhanced by three thin whisker-like scars on both cheeks, and the two bells on the bottom of the wide sleeves tinkled.

Naruto's pale eyes were calm as he studied his reflection in the mirror. Dressed in the silver, white and black ceremonial robes of the Kazama Clan with his hair loose and flowing around his face, partially obscuring his pale Kazama eyes, he made a striking figure.

He wore a long sleeved black shirt with a high mandarin collar decorated with ornate silver embroidery was under the white over robe with long, wide sleeves edged in black, decorated with silver embroidery, held shut by a black sash, also decorated with silver embroidery. At the edge of the sleeves, were two tiny golden bells which rang softly as he moved. Under the robe, he wore a pair of plain black pants and a pair of black cloth shoes. On the back of the robe, stitched in fine golden thread, was the outline of a seven pointed star, in the center of which was a triangle surrounding an eye. It was the symbol of the Oracle.

"Well, don't we look spiffy today?" Anko's voice said from the window.

Naruto didn't turn. "The robe had to be specially made," he said, "since up till now, there has never been a male Kazama Heir who has ever become the Oracle."

"Mizuki will be quite surprised, I think," Ibiki said.

"Kabuto has been drugged as planned?" Naruto murmured.

"Yes," Anko said promptly, "We don't want Orochimaru to change his mind about the _Sharingan_ and decide that he wants the _Yochigan_ instead. If he did, it would be a disaster."

"Indeed," Naruto said. He left the mirror and moved toward the door. His hand closed around the doorknob and he said, "Shall we go?"

"_Hai, Rokudaime-sama_!" Ibiki and Anko said, and vanished.

Naruto opened the door and stepped out. The door closed behind him with a quiet click.

* * *

Mizuki grumbled quietly to himself about the "Stupid _Kyuubi_ pretending to be a Kazama to gain the power to murder everyone in their sleep and cheating on the exam" as he slipped through the _Hokage_ Tower. He froze when he saw a figure seated at a desk in the library dressed in the silver, white, and black with their loose hair and the symbol of the Kazama Clan shimmering in gold in the dim light, their back toward him, a single candle lit beside him. He knew of only one person in _Konoha_ at that time that was privileged to wear the Kazama colors. He shifted so he was concealed by the shadows and moved closer and a cruel smile crossed his lips when he noticed that the child had his head propped on his hand, his eyes closed, and a scroll lay open before him. Evidently, the child had fallen asleep as he was studying.

Pale eyes opened, staring straight at him, and Mizuki froze. "What are you doing here, Mizuki-sensei?" Naruto asked, straightening in the chair.

Mizuki's face contorted into an angry hate filled snarl. "None of your business _demon_," he sneered, "But what luck, since you're here, I can kill you and leave with the Forbidden Scroll, and hit two birds with one stone."

"Is that so, Mizuki?"

The library was instantly filled with light and Mizuki looked around and gulped. The library was filled with _ANBU_ and _Chunnin_, and to his horror, the _Hokage_, flanked by Morino Ibiki and Mitarashi Anko stood in the doorway. The four teenage assassins who had arrived several months before stood behind Naruto, guns drawn, and beside Naruto stood Iruka, his warm eyes radiating anger and disappointment.

"I-It's not what it looks like!" Mizuki cried, and he pointed at Naruto. "It's the demon! It's the demon's fault! It's his fault, the damned _bakemono_! He called me here! He whispered to me to defect and steal the scroll! Blame that monster!"

Angry murmurs ran through the room.

"How dare you call Kazama-_sama_ a demon!" a _chunnin_ cried.

"Ungrateful," an _ANBU_ murmured.

"To blame Kazama-_sama_ for his own disloyalty…" another _ANBU_ murmured.

"Disgraceful," another _chunnin_ spat.

"Acting like Kazama-_sama_ wanted to be a _Jinchuuriki_…"

"…No faith in the _Yondaime's_ work…"

"Fool…"

"The only _bakemono_ here is you!" a chunnin yelled.

"Ungrateful traitor," Iruka spat, "Kazama-_kun_ lives daily in torment to protect your ungrateful hide, and this is how you thank him? By attempting to blame him for your disloyalty and by calling him a demon and a monster? You disgust me, Mizuki."

"Enough," the _Hokage_ said, and silence fell, "Mizuki, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Please, believe me, _Hokage-sama_!" Mizuki said, "It was the demon that did it! He made me do it!"

"I have heard quite enough," _Sandaime_ said. "You have broken my law one too many times. You have spoken of something forbidden in my presence, and now you must pay for your crime. _ANBU_, take him away."

"_Hai, Sandaime-sama_!" the four _ANBU_ grabbed Mizuki and they vanished.

"Ibiki, Anko, you both know what you must do."

"_Hai, Hokage-sama_!" the two _tokubetsu jounin_ said, and vanished.

"The rest of you may go," the Hokage said, "Thank you all for the effort tonight."

The group of _chunnin_ bowed and vanished. The pilots looked at one another and Trowa said, "I suppose we'll take our leave then. Good night, _Sandaime-sama_."

The Third nodded and the pilots left the room. Duo paused, bent down and gave Naruto a quick hug; whispered something, pressed something into his hand, grinned, and left the room to the sound of blonde's laughter.

Iruka blinked and said, "I haven't heard you laugh like that in a long time. What did he say to you?"

Naruto chuckled and waved a hand. "It's just Duo. His sense of humor is something to be treasured, although he's an annoying monkey most of the time."

"Oh?" _Sandaime_ said. "Do enlighten us. After the type of day that we've had, I think we all need some entertainment."

"He gave me Peanut M&Ms…" Naruto held up the small packet of chocolates and smiled, "It's a private joke…"

"Oh?"

"The story behind it is very entertaining, Trowa laughed for days afterward." Naruto smiled a distant, faraway smile that told the two men that he was no longer sitting with them in a library, but walking through the mists of time.

_Sandaime_ smiled fondly and said, "Don't stay up too late, Naruto. You still have to meet your _genin_ team tomorrow morning."

Naruto nodded, rolled up the scroll and stood up and vanished among the rows of shelves. He reappeared moments later and Iruka placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"I'll se you later, _Hokage-jiji_!" Naruto said, smiling.

_Sandaime_ could only laugh as Iruka bopped Naruto's head. "Don't talk to the _Hokage_ like that!"

Iruka bowed and his hand tightened on Naruto's shoulder and the two vanished in a puff of smoke. The two reappeared in Naruto's apartment, and Iruka smiled at the _gennin_.

"So, how does it feel now that you're officially a _shinobi_ of the leaf?" he asked his charge.

Naruto raised an eyebrow and said, "Like I should be expecting a lot of boring and useless D ranks from lazy civilians who would rather not weed their own gardens."

Iruka laughed. "Well, you're right." He paused and said softly, "It seems like you're starting to grow out of me lately."

Naruto paused and said softly, "It's the way of children to grow out of their mentors with time. But you know, you and the _Sandaime_, I don't think I'll ever fully grow out of having the both of you close. You're both family after all."

Iruka nodded. "Well, I don't suppose I'll have to tell you to rest. You have a big day ahead of you tomorrow."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I know. Good night, Iruka-_sensei_."

"Good night, Naruto." And Iruka vanished.

* * *

Naruto sat wordlessly in the classroom dressed in a black jacket over a long sleeved silver-grey dress shirt and black slacks. His _shinobi_ sandals were black and the cloth that his _hitae-ate_ was set on was black as well, and tied over his eyes instead on his forehead. Shoulder length tresses, left loose the night before, were pulled into a ponytail to keep the hair out of his way.

The clock chimed seven, and the door opened and Iruka entered the classroom.

"Congratulations, graduates!" he said, "From this point on, you are officially _Konoha_ ninja, however, you are only _gennin_. You will be working in teams of three with a _jounin_ supervisor…"

Naruto tuned out the _chunnin_. There was no need for him to listen when he already knew what was to come. Not every future was set in stone, but there are some things that could not be changed. He glanced at Sasuke. Not even Sasuke's eventual defection could be prevented. The blonde closed his eyes. There were many things that wouldn't change, not because he didn't want them to change, but simply because they _couldn't_ be changed…

"…Team 7: Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto! Team 8: Inuzuka Kiba, Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata! Team 9:…"

And so it continued, and Naruto understood that if no active action was taken, history would repeat itself. But action _had_ been taken, hadn't he and the others come back? Wasn't he more beloved than Uchiha Sasuke, something he had striven for from the very beginning? But ultimately, he knew in his heart of hearts that nothing had changed.

He closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat as the students filed out of the classroom. How sad life was, that so much pain could have been avoided if one chance was taken and the sealed chose to reach out and ask for help. But such was life, and none ever wished to swallow their pride and allow it to be known that they were weak, even in part.

* * *

Kakashi entered the classroom, and his sole visible eye swept over the group. "Ahh… A fangirl, a brooder, and a dead last. Oh well, meet on the roof," he said and vanished.

Naruto stood up and left the class wordlessly.

"Ok," Kakashi said, looking over his students. "Let's introduce ourselves. Name, likes, dislikes, hobbies, and dreams."

"_Ano… sensei_," Saukra said, "Why don't you start off, just to show us how to do it?"

Naruto rolled his eyes under his _hitae-ate_. He had forgotten how dense Sakura could be at this point of her life. "_Kami_ save us," he muttered, "I'm teamed up with a fangirl who can't follow directions. Team 7 is doomed."

Kakashi felt his lips curving in a smile behind his mask. I think I'll like the brat, he thought. "Let's see now… My name is Hatake Kakashi. have no desire whatsoever to tell you guys my likes and dislikes. As for dreams for the future... Well, I do have a lot of hobbies..." Kakashi glanced at Sakura. "Ok, Pinky, your turn."

**Pinky?! Pinky!!??** Inner Sakura raged**. How dare he call us Pinky?! Shannaroooo!!!! We'll tear him to pieces!**

"I'm Haruno Sakura. I like..." she looked at Sasuke, "my hobbies are..." she looked at Sasuke again, "my dreams for the future are..." she squealed at this point. "I hate Ino-pig!" She snarled.

Kakashi sighed. _Great… I'm stuck with a fangirl…_ "Ok, what about you, blondie?"

"I am Uzumaki Naruto, I like spending time with my precious people, I dislike the fate that is set in stone, my hobby is… my hobby, my dream for the future..." He closed his eyes and whispered, "I dream of…" here his eyes opened, "something that is none of your concern."

Kakashi frowned. _It seems as if his life revolves around the Yochigan. I hope he can withstand the burden. _"Ok, Mr. Brooder, your turn."

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I have few likes and many dislikes," he looked at Sakura out of the corner of his eyes, "I have no hobbies and my... no... It's... it's not a dream. It's more of an ambition. It's to kill a certain man and resurrect my clan,"

_'An avenger,'_ Kakashi groaned mentally, "Okay. Tomorrow, bring your gear. We're going to have a training session tomorrow. Survival training,"

"_Ano_, Kakashi-_sensei_, we've done plenty of survival training in the academy though," Sakura said.

"It's to see which of the graduating class is worthy of becoming a _genin_," Kakashi replied.

"But I thought we were already _genin_," Sakura protested.

"No, that was to see who would be able to become a _genin_," Kakashi said, "just to let you know. The test you're going to take has a sixty-six point six percent chance of failing,"

"WHAT!" Sakura screamed.

Sasuke frowned while Naruto tilted his head to the side.

"Meet me tomorrow at training ground 7. Oh, and don't eat breakfast. There's no guarantee that it'll all stay down," Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"So, Sasuke, do you want to go out with me?" Sakura asked hopefully.

"No," Sasuke bluntly said as he left.

Naruto sat still for a moment longer and tilted his head back. A few minutes later, he stood off, brushed off his clothes, and left the roof. There was still much to do.

* * *

"It's too early in the morning to deal with a bunch of green brats…."

Naruto dragged himself into the kitchen, muttering all the while, and plopped himself into his seat and allowed his forehead to hit the tabletop. Or at least, his forehead would have made contact with the mahogany surface if Trowa and Duo, who were in charge of breakfast that morning, had not glanced over at the blonde, and Duo placing his hand between the table and Naruto's forehead. In the meantime, Trowa poured a cup of coffee and pressed the mug of steaming liquid into the blonde's hands and moved back to man the stove.

"Feeling alright, Q-tra?" Duo asked, "Or did you dream?"

"When do I not dream?" Naruto groaned.

Duo tsked and sat down. "So? What'd'cha see?"

"Death," Naruto said, "Lots and lots of it. I think it's more of a memory than a real vision of past, present, or future."

Trowa shook his head and started setting the table just as Wufei and Heero came into the kitchen. Duo grinned and stood up, "Just rest up, Quatre. For now, just pretend we're back in one of your estates at L4 in AC 197."

"I'll do that gladly," Naruto sat up, set the mug of coffee on the table and smiled brightly at the pilots. "So, while I'm suffering with a chronically tardy pervert and two obsessed brats, what is the lot of you doing today?"

* * *

Naruto arrived at training ground 7 around noon and smiled fondly. There on the ground was Sasuke and Sakura, curled up and sprawled over one another like puppies.

"_Kawaii da na?_" he said softly, "A pity it won't last."

Kakashi arrived in a puff of smoke in time to hear Naruto's words. "What do you mean, Naruto?" he said, coming up behind the blonde.

Naruto pushed his _hitae-ate_ to his forehead and turned. Kakashi swallowed hard as he stared into sad pale eyes. "You'll see, with time."

On the ground, Sasuke and Sakura stirred.

"Yo!" Kakashi said, lifting a hand lazily.

"You're late!" Sakura screamed, scrambling to her feet.

Kakashi's visible eye curved in a smile. "_Maa_… A black cat crossed my path, so I had to find another way."

"LIAR!!!" Sakura yelled.

Kakashi studied his students and moved away to place an alarm clock on a stump and set the alarm. "_Yosh_… This alarm is set to go off at noon," he said. "Your mission is to retrieve these," Kakashi held up two bells. "Whoever gets a bell, passes."

"But there are only two bells," Sakura said.

Kakashi smiled. "Precisely. Only two can pass, or all three of you will fail. You will want to come at me with the intent to kill, or you will never get the bells."

"But you'll get hurt!" Sakura said, horrified.

Kakashi's eye curved in a smile. "Don't worry about that. Begin when I say so." He paused, and watched as the three _genin_ tensed, watching him expectantly, and feeling rather stupid, said, "Ah… right… begin."

And the _genin_ leapt apart and vanished. Kakashi smiled under his mask.

_They're all well hidden… _he thought. _We really have a talented bunch here this year…_

Naruto slipped through the trees, carefully drawing on his experiences as a Gundam Pilot and as _Rokudaime_ to navigate through the brush without being detected. He chose to take his place on a branch near the cenotaph, a place he knew that Kakashi would never think to look. He settled himself comfortably on a branch and closed his eyes….

"_Yo!"_

_Sakura turned to face Kakashi and a storm of leaves blocked her sight. The storm died down, and as the last leaf drifted away, Sakura looked around curiously._

"_Eh? Where'd he go?"_

"_Sa-Sakura…"_

_Sakura turned to find a mutilated and bleeding Sasuke._

"_Help me…"_

"_AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"_

_Sakura collapsed._

_The bushes rustled and Kakashi stepped out, canceling the illusion._

"_Hmm… Perhaps I went too far…"_

Naruto's lips quirked. "To be expected of Sakura, falling for such an obvious _genjutsu_. No prospective _jounin-sensei_ would injure their possible students in such a manner, especially not their precious Last Uchiha… Speaking of Sasuke…"

_Kakashi glanced down at Sasuke's satisfied smirk, and his sole visible eye widened. He tossed Sasuke away and leapt back. He studied the last Uchiha, his eye calculating. Sasuke began forming handseals, and Kakashi's eye widened once more as the Uchiha blew out a fireball. The technique ended and Kakashi was nowhere to be see._

"_Never leave your back open." Kakashi said. He was crouched behind Sasuke, reading his book. He closed the book and formed a tiger seal. "Konohagakure Furui Taijutsu no Ougi: Sennen Goroshi!"_

_Sasuke was propelled into the air screaming._

Naruto chuckled. He opened his eyes and sat up. "Well, it's almost time…"

Kakashi walked out to the clearing and leaned against one of the posts, reading. Naruto smiled a secret smile and leaned against the tree trunk, and waited for the alarm to sound.

* * *

Naruto, who, for all intents and appearances, had not done anything, had not been tied to the post after the alarm had sounded. He smiled serenely at Kakashi as he tied the knot, binding the unconscious Sakura to the log, and was still smiling serenely as Sasuke snorted and muttered, "Dobe," and winced as Sakura woke up screaming, "Sasuke-kun!" at the top of her lungs. Naruto winced, but his serene smile never faltered.

"Well, now that you're all awake, you don't have to go back to the academy," Kakashi said.

Sakura's teal eyes brightened and Inner Sakura roared, **Shannarooooo! Love prevails! **Meanwhile,Sasuke smirked and Naruto continued to smile serenely, his eyes sparkling knowingly.

"You should quit as ninjas!" Kakashi roared.

Shocked silence.

Naruto kept smiling serenely, a knowing sparkle in his eyes.

"None of you got the actual reason behind the bell test."

"What is the reason?" Naruto asked, his voice carrying a faint hint of amusement. "Do enlighten us foolish _genin_, oh, Great Copy-_nin_ Kakashi, Prodigal Son of the White Fang."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. _Is he trying to bait me or mock me?_ He wondered.

Nonetheless, he answered, "The actual test is to see if you are capable of teamwork. In the world of _shinobi_, those who do not follow the rules are trash, but those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash." He turned his back on the _genin_ and walked toward the cenotaph, stopping a few feet away from the black stone. "This stone is where the names of the ninja who died are carved. It is a monument to the heroes who died for our village. My best friend's name is here also." He glanced over his shoulder and said, "I'll give you guys one more chance. Naruto, Sasuke, you may eat. Don't feed Sakura anything. If you do, you'll go back to the academy."

Once Kakashi was gone, Naruto pulled out a kunai and cut away the ropes.

"What are you doing?!" Sakura screeched. "Baka! You'll get Sasuke-kun in trouble!"

Naruto snorted. "Kakashi-_sensei_ only said that we were not to feed you. He never said anything about not untying you. Besides, if you cramp up, you'll drag us down."

Sasuke snorted and handed Sakura his _obento_. "Here, eat," he said gruffly. "The dobe is right. You'll just drag us down if you're weak with hunger."

"Sasuke-_kun_…" Sakura said dreamily, her eyes tearing up.

Naruto scoffed silently, and raised his eyes to the sky as if asking for patience. There was a puff of smoke, and Kakashi appeared, his face dark with anger.

"You lot!" he roared.

Sakura screamed and fell on her backside, and Sasuke swallowed hard. Naruto stood in the background, watching impassively.

Kakashi's face cleared up and his sole visible eye curved in a happy smile and he said, "You all pass! 3" he straightened and said, "Congratulations, you are now officially ninja of the Leaf. Meet at the bridge at five AM. Your training begins tomorrow." He vanished in a puff of smoke.

Naruto watched as Sasuke smirked and walked away as Sakura clung to his arm like a limpet, chattering away.

"So begins the adventures of _Genin_ Squad Seven," Naruto murmured. He walked toward the cenotaph and stared down at it. "_Senpai-tachi_ who came before us, Father, _Shodai-sama, Nidaime-sama_, ancestors, please watch over us and give us the strength to weather the storms ahead. Let us make ourselves known, that we will not become the Ill-Fated Team who will repeat the mistakes of the _Densatsu no Sannin_."

A cold, impersonal wind blew through the training area, whipping about leaves and flower petals. Naruto closed his eyes and a single tear rolled down his cheek.

"Please…"

His quiet, pain filled plea was carried away by the wind, a whisper of infinite sadness…


	14. The Waves of Destiny

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 13: Waves of Destiny

It was a routine for them. For eight days of a year, Kyuubi would go into hibernation, and Naruto would loose the Kyuubi's regenerative power and enhanced senses. This also had the unfortunate effect of throwing off his circadian rhythm, leaving him almost perpetually tired and listless. It also made his Yochigan flare up almost constantly, as the Kyuubi was not there somewhat suppress the All-Seing Eye's power, leaving Naruto distracted and exhausted at all times, as he would have to constantly force himself out of a vision to concentrate on reality. For eight days of a year, a squad of ANBU would shadow Naruto (and by association, Team 7), ready to whisk the Last Kazama away if something were to threaten him while he was all but defenseless. And for eight days of a year, Naruto would stay at either Iruka's apartment or in his own set of rooms in the Hokage's Residence.

The day of the Summer Solstice, which marked the first of the two days out of eight days of the Kyuubi's hibernation, found the normally reserved and occasionally excitable blonde in an unusual state of restless exhaustion. It was also one of those days when Kakashi would arrive thirty minutes late, inform the genin that there was no training (most likely to allow the blonde to rest or hide away during the time that he was most vulnerable to an attack), and vanish in a puff of chakra smoke, leaving the three disgruntled (or in Naruto's case, exhausted) genin to wander off and do whatever it is they do on their days off. Naruto, dressed in a white dress shirt under a light blue gi with a grey hakama and a black hoari, took advantage of the early dismissal, and was once again having tea with the Hokage.

They discussed a wide range of topics, from the progress of the students in the academy, to the newest bestselling novels (Naruto adamantly refused to use his Yochigan to discern when Jiraiya's newest book would be coming out, much to Kakashi's and the Sandaime's disappointment, and no amount of bribing or coaxing could get him to so much as take a peek at the perverted Sannin's schedule for the future), even including the recently received mission requests, at which point, Naruto promptly requested that Team 7 be allowed to take the C ranked mission that would inevitably come from Wave Country.

It was with a faint sense of bewilderment that the Sandaime agreed.

Of course, Team 7 would not receive the mission for another three days, courtesy of the Mission Assignment Office and the Sandaime, so that Naruto could recover from the exhaustion, aches and pains, and the chakra burns that always came from the Kyuubi's return to a semi-aware state behind the seal.

* * *

The first day of traveling was slow as Tazuna, being a civilian, needed time to rest, while the ninja, had they been traveling alone, would have been halfway to Wave Country by the time the sun set.

"Well, I suppose we'll have to make camp," Kakashi said mildly, never looking up from his book, "Sasuke, gather wood, Naruto, hunt, and Sakura, there is a stream a bit into the forest, you get our water."

And he sat down to keep an eye on the client while the three genin vanished into the forest to complete their respective tasks.

* * *

Naruto woke early in the morning, and gently nudged Kakashi with a toe before turning his eyes into the depths of the campfire. The Copy-nin turned his head slightly, watching his student warily as the pale blue eyes glowed eerily in the predawn light and in the glow of the dying flames.

"There is danger and resources up ahead," Naruto said softly, "We'll meet up with the Demon Brothers later in the day."

"Shall we turn back?" Kakashi said warily.

"No."

"No?"

"No. However, I will be very displeased if you utilize the Chidori at anytime during this mission."

Kakashi nodded. He understood the unspoken words. The mission was mislabeled, but the Last Kazama was playing along because there were human resources to be gathered from this mission. The warning was to injure, rather than kill, in other words, they would be facing renegade ninjas, and Kakashi was not to kill them so there would be a chance in the future for the Last Kazama to attempt to recruit them. For what reasons, Kakashi didn't know, but he didn't question the blonde. He knew from prior experience with a Kazama, It was simply not done to question their motives, nor was it acceptable to question them at all if they did not volunteer the information themselves.

Unknown to them, there was an eavesdropper. Onyx eyes narrowed in anger at the thought of the blonde having the audacity to give their teacher orders, and that the Copy-nin would actually follow Naruto's whims when he barely even looked at _him_. This was _not _how it was supposed to be! _He_ was Uchiha Sasuke! _He _should be the one ordering people about, not some good for nothing dead last! _He _was the last Uchiha while Naruto was a nobody. He would show _him_ who was boss…

* * *

Back in Konoha…

"geh… It's so boring without Quatre around… We don't get lots of missions here either since we're not ninja…"

"Stop whining Maxwell," Wufei snapped.

"If you're so bored, then you could get up and start training!" Anko snapped, appearing in the living room in a puff of chakra smoke. "Don't waste your training. The Chunin Selection Exams are coming up, and Naruto's talked the Hokage into letting the lot of you proctor the exam! You're making sure that a load of shinobi brats stay in line and follow the rules, so you have to be in tiptop shape!"

"You sure you're Relena, babe? Cause you sure don't act like her," Duo grinned.

"Different lives, different personalities, Maxwell," Anko snapped. She glanced at Heero who was tapping away at his laptop and shook her head. "I highly doubt that we have internet access here Yuy."

"Actually, there is," Trowa said, looking up from his book.

"There is?" Anko looked confused.

"Yep!" Duo grinned.

"Fatima packed one of Winner's telescopes," Wufei said, "And we also found several satellites orbiting the planet."

Anko frowned. "I suppose the stories were true then."

"Stories?" Duo asked.

Anko nodded. "The stories tell us that the first ninja were unable to use chakra, and used only kunai, shuriken, and other weapons to fight. After that time, there came a time of technology and the world blossomed into a Golden Age where the buildings soared to the skies and the people could fly across the seas. But then the people became greedy for wealth and power, so wars broke out, and the great cities were destroyed and many people died. The wars finally ended when a series of nuclear weapons were pulled into play, and many people retreated underground. Over hundreds of years, the population continued to dwindle and then chakra was discovered. The ninja who survived began to search for ways to use this chakra, and as they did this, the other survivors began to rebuild. What could be salvaged was, and we ultimately ended with the current society of ninja and civilians with a minimum of technology. The satellites you found could possibly be the remnants of the old world, although to have internet access, you would need to have a server somewhere…"

Anko shook head and sighed. "Well, whatever. But you should stand to train a bit. The exams start in a little over a month, so get cracking. You'll want to be in tiptop form when you proctor the exams. My suggestion is to work on your observation skills as, like I said earlier, you'll be trying to catch ninja brats trying to cheat and cause trouble." And she left in a puff of smoke.

* * *

Naruto fell back to the rear to walk with Kakashi. "Oh, look at that wonderful, obvious puddle in the middle of the road when it hasn't rained in weeks," he murmured, "Exactly just how stupid do they think we are?"

Kakashi chuckled, turning a page of his book. "Genin and civilians might be oblivious enough not to notice," he said lightly.

Naruto suddenly grinned widely, "Lets jump in it!" The blonde ran forward, yelling, "Banzai!" and jumped, making sure to land hard.

There was a quiet, "Ow," and the puddle didn't splash.

Kakashi smiled faintly to see the normally reserved blonde acting like a child, something he had not seen since before the Yochigan had first manifested.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called, "This puddle is somewhat strange…"

"Oh?" the Copy-nin said, amusedly, "how so?"

"It doesn't splash and it said, "ow"!"

"Well, that's odd," Kakashi was really getting into it now, "Whatever shall we do about the strange talking puddle that doesn't splash when jumped on?"

"Drop an explosive tag on it and see what runs out?"

"If you like."

And Naruto did exactly that. Of course, the only thing that appeared in the puddle was a growing red tint that smelt heavily of copper.

"Oh my," Kakashi said, deadpanned, "It seems there was some one hiding in the puddle after all…" and flipped a page of his book.

And the journey continued…

* * *

They were in sight of a river when Naruto's Yochigan flared suddenly, and his mind was bombarded by the images of time. The blonde gasped and fell onto his knees, clutching at his temples as the seven pronged star of the Oracle appeared in his eyes and spun rapidly as trails of blood cascaded down his face. Kakashi was next to him in an instant and all the jounin could do was pick up the child and motion for Tazuna and the other members of Team 7 to move on.

"What happened, sensei?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi sighed. "Naruto's clan has a dojutsu that is normally only active in the daughters. Sensei, who was Naruto's father, once told me that the Clan legends claimed that the dojutsu can be active in a son if there are no daughters when the dojutsu is needed. Of course, because his body isn't built for the dojutsu, Naruto has trouble controlling it, and it flares up at random intervals."

"And all but renders the dobe useless," Sasuke snorted.

Kakashi said nothing. The Kazama Clan dojutsu was not something to be discussed or taken lightly. Let Sasuke steam, stew, and stroke his own ego. The generation that had seen the previous Oracle's work knew the importance and the power of the Yochigan. Sasuke would learn his place soon enough…

Naruto groaned and murmured, "A Serpent moves through the leaves seeking the Copying Eye, and the Ape shall die while the Toad and the Slug stand helpless as the Leaves are stripped from the boughs of the Tree… The encounter with the Serpent in the Mock War will be the first catalyst… When the child heir of the Mirror-Wheel Eye is cursed, the Oracle's death will approach with the Song of a Thousand Birds… And the Great Tree shall topple…"

Kakashi's eyes widened and his sole visible eye fixed on Sasuke. His arms tightened protectively around the blonde child. _I will kill him before I allow this prophesy to come true, Naruto… I swear it…

* * *

_

They crossed the river in silence. Naruto alternated between fitful sleep and near unintelligible muttering while Kakashi gently stroked the blonde tresses, something that he knew from experience often calmed the blonde as he Dreamed. They reached the other side of the river with no mishaps, and as they alighted from the boat, Naruto stirred, the dried blood on his face cracking and flaking off as he grimaced.

His eyes fluttered as Kakashi lifted him from the boat and bloodshot eyes stared at the Copy-nin. "Are we there yet?" he murmured.

"We just crossed the river," Kakashi said.

"I see…" his eyes closed again, "That's good…"

Several hours later, Naruto woke as they stopped to let Tazuna rest. Kakashi watched the blonde closely as he stretched and cleaned the dried blood off his face and silently consumed a ration bar.

A few minutes later, Naruto was fully awake, and Tazuna was rested, and they continued. Not long after, Naruto's head jerked up and turned toward the trees, and Sasuke launched a kunai into the bushes at the same time. Naruto shook his head as Sakura threw a fit about the little snow rabbit who had almost been skewered.

"Duck!" Kakashi yelled suddenly, and Naruto dropped down, pulling Sasuke and Sakura with him as Kakashi tackled Tazuna.

A heavy blade whipped through the air roughly at waist height and imbedded itself into the tree. Naruto glanced up at the pale man standing on the blade of the zanbatou as though he weighed nothing.

Momochi Zabuza had arrived…

And the mission that had officially began the career of Genin Squad 7 had begun…


	15. Encounter

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 14: Encounter

Kakashi cautiously rose to his feet and the genin warily followed his example.

"You are Hatake Kakashi, the Copy-Ninja," Zabuza said, his eyes sparkling with malice and more than a little glee. "No wonder the Demon Brothers failed."

Team 7 tensed.

"Demon of the Mist," Kakashi said in a neutral tone.

The corners of Naruto's lips twitched and his eyes gleamed in anticipation as he unobtrusively slid a kunai out of his holster. Beside him, Sasuke shivered in excitement and took a step forward. Kakashi noticed the Uchiha's movement instantly and he threw out an arm, blocking the Uchiha's movement.

"Stay back!" the jounin snapped, "This is not your fight. He's out of your league."

Sasuke fumed silently. Out of his league? He was the top rookie genin!

"Step aside. You're in the way," Zabuza said. "My business is with the old man."

"The old man is our client," Kakashi said, "I am your business."

Zabuza smirked. "So be it, Sharingan Kakashi."

Kakashi's hand drifted to his Hitae-ate, uncovering the Sharingan.

"Sharingan already?" Zabuza murmured, "I'm honored."

"Assume the manji formation!" Kakashi ordered, and the three genin moved into position.

Zabuza leapt off the zanbatou, simultaneously pulling it out of the tree and strapping it to his back and landed lightly on the lake, lifting one hand over his head and another to his face in a motion similar to the shushing motion. Naruto sensed the brief flare of chakra as the mist slowly began to thicken.

"Ninpou: Kirigakure no Jutsu," Zabuza intoned, vanishing from view into the mist.

Slowly, the mist around them thickened until even the teammate a foot away from them became an indistinct blur in the mist.

"Sensei!" Sakura gasped.

The killer intent tore through the air, dispelling the mist enough for the genin and Tazuna to see in a five yard radius around them. Naruto's amusement vanished behind a mask of concentration as he extended his senses, blocking out the killing intent of the two jounin. They were not his worry at the moment, and Kakashi could take care of himself.

Sasuke began to shake. _He has the Sharingan that only the Uchiha clan possesses… That killing intent… It's almost enough to make someone choke! This atmosphere of two jounin preparing to clash… The feeling that my life is in someone else's hands… _The Uchiha gripped his kunai until his knuckles turned white. _I would rather kill my self to escape this feeling!_

As if he sensed Sasuke's fear, Kakashi moved to alleviate it. "Sasuke," he said, capturing the Uchiha's attention. "You are my students. Don't worry, I won't let any of you die."

Zabuza laughed. "How touching, Kakashi. But ninja are tools, and you should worry about yourself rather than them."

The mist had become so dense that Team Seven could hardly see each other through it.

"Throat, Spinal column, lungs, liver, the jugular vein, the sub-clavian artery, kidney, heart…." Zabuza said, listing off the fatal parts of the human anatomy. "Where should I strike first?"

_Behind,_ Naruto's mind whispered.

Before Zabuza even appeared, Naruto sprinted toward Tazuna.

Naruto's kunai blocked Zabuza's strike, and with a quick sideways movement, Naruto heaved Zabuza's blade to the side and rushed forward, slipping his blade swiftly into the man's stomach.

"I should have known… Mizu Bushin…" he breathed as Zabuza dissolved into water.

The Kiri nuke-nin materialized behind him, and swung his sword, and Naruto ducked as Kakashi moved to intercept the blade. Zabuza smirked and lashed out with a foot, kicking Kakashi into the air.

"Sensei!" Sakura cried.

Zabuza grinned as the silver haired jounin fell into the lake with a splash. He blurred and reappeared at the lake and Kakashi found himself trapped in a sphere of water.

"Damn!" Kakashi cursed. _I had thought that I could regroup in the water. That was a tactical error!_

Naruto pulled out a fuuma shuriken and flipped it open, holding it so it covered three fourths of his face.

"Fuuma Shuriken: Kage Fuisha!" he said, and leapt into the air, launching the shuriken at Zabuza.

The shuriken tore through the water clone that had just finished materializing, and Zabuza snatched it out of the air. His eyes widened to see the second fuuma shuriken hidden in the shadow of the other. He jumped up, and smirked at Naruto who raised an elegantly sculpted eyebrow in a way that said quite clearly, "Did you really think that was all I had planned?" and vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Kage bushin?!" Zabuza said, surprised.

The shuriken that Zabuza had evaded was suddenly obscured in a cloud of chakra smoke, and Naruto flung a kunai at Zabuza's arm. The mist nuke-nin dodged out of the way, pulling his arm out of the prison as he did so.

Furious, Zabuza began to spin the shuriken in his hand, preparing to throw it, but Kakashi intercepted the shuriken with the metal plate attached to the back of his glove. Naruto landed lightly on the water, and ran for shore, swiftly skirting the two jounin as he did so.

Once back in formation, Team 7 and Tazuna watched as Kakashi and Zabuza fought, and as a Mist Hunter-nin intervened and took Zabuza's body away. Kakashi pushed his hitae-ate back over his eye, covering his Sharingan, and collapsed.

* * *

"Are you awake?" Naruto's voice was quiet.

Kakashi opened an eye and grunted. Pale lips shifted in a wry smile.

"I thought so. Can you sit up?"

Kakashi sat up wordlessly to look at his student. Naruto was pouring a cup of tea, and he handed it to Kakashi who sipped the hot liquid gratefully.

Not really.

Once the taste hit him, he made a face and Nauto chuckled.

"Willow-bark tea," the blonde said, "believe me when I say that you'll need it."

Kakashi swallowed the hot liquid as quickly as he could without burning his throat or tasting it. He returned the cup to the blond and gave him a baleful look and Naruto's lips twitched.

"Rest up for tonight, and tomorrow, you can scare the others about Zabuza still being alive, and then, you will have more of that tea, and the day after that, you will teach us, or at least them, tree climbing."

Naruto stood up, carrying the tray with him and left.

A quiet "Oyasumi nasai," drifted through the room as the door closed.

* * *

Kakashi led his students into the forest, and once he found a spot to his liking, turned back to face his students, his sole visible eye curving in a smile.

"You will learn the art of tree climbing."

"Tree climbing? How will that help us defeat Zabuza?" Sakura said, giving Kakashi a look that all but screamed, _Are you trying to get us all killed?_

"Theoretically," Naruto said, much to the surprise of the other genin, "if you master this exercise, not only do you increase your control, but also your reserves, and theoretically, once tree climbing is mastered, there is no jutsu you cannot perform…"

Kakashi nodded. "That's right. Now, you channel your chakra to you feet, and walk up the tree. Too much and you'll get blown off, too little, and you won't stick. Well, get going!"

The jounin glanced at Naruto and murmured, "What chakra control exercises are you using now?"

Naruto smiled faintly, and shrugged.

"Oh, fine, be that way. See if I care!" Kakashi mock raged.

The blonde rolled his eyes and vanished in a swirl of leaves, his amused laughter fading away behind him…

* * *

Naruto was calmly sorting through the herbs in the glade in the early morning, placing them carefully in a basket that he had borrowed from Tsunami.

A lithe figure of a girl appeared at the edge of the glade, and Naruto paid her no mind.

The two knelt in the patch of herbs in different edges of the glade, their backs to each other. Finally, after several minutes in this tense silence, the girl spoke.

"Do you have someone to protect?"

Naruto's hands did stop moving. "Yes," he answered.

The girl nodded, "That's good. Only when you have someone to protect will you get stronger."

"What about you?" Naruto asked. "Do you have someone you want to protect?"

"Yes," the girl answered.

"I think," Naruto said softly, "had we met under different circumstances, we could have been friends."

The girl made a noise of assent. Naruto finished sorting through the herbs and tied them in little bundles with a bit of string and gently laid them in the basket, and stood up, the basket under one arm.

"My name is Naruto," Naruto said, "It was a pleasure speaking with you…"

"My name is Haku," the girl said. "It was a pleasure to speak with you as well, and for future reference, I'm a boy."

Naruto vanished in a swirl of leaves, and a quiet chuckle drifted through the glade behind him.

* * *

Tsunami was about to scream as one of the swordsmen moved toward Inari, his sword raised, and the other turned toward her. Suddenly, a pair of hands appeared and snapped the neck of the thug approaching Inari, and the other man turned, and a shuriken slammed into his forehead in between his eyes. The two thugs dropped in a boneless heap, and Tsunami's throat constricted, locking her scream in her throat.

Naruto's eyes were cold and she shivered as the blank eyes turned toward her.

"If you could clean this up, Tsunami-san," he said. It was not a request.

Tsunami shivered at the emotionless voice of the normally reserved but warm boy. She nodded stiffly.

Naruto turned his eyes on Inari, and an approving smile crossed his lips. "Well done," he said calmly. "Now if you would only show this courage outside of times of desperation, then you will grow to be a strong young man. Now if you will excuse me, I have a job to do." And he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

Sakura watched fearfully as Kakashi faced off against Zabuza while Sasuke attempted to defend himself from the false Hunter-nin's barrage of senbon. Unnoticed to any of the nin, a single dark figure stood in the forest, watching as the fights progressed.

A dark figure appeared behind Kakashi, who cocked his head toward them before turning back to Zabuza. Kakashi's hands met and he began the seals for the Chidori as the figure vanished.

Sasuke collapsed, and as the ice mirrors dissolved, the figure hidden in the trees vanished, and Haku, who had left the mirror to stand over Sasuke, found a fist buried deeply in his gut, sending him flying back. He slammed into his ice mirrors and raised his head, and his eyes met with pale eyes, a seven pronged star rotating slowly as blood welled in the pale eyes. The figure darted forward, the black hood falling back to reveal golden blonde hair, and the two engaged into an all taijutsu match, and Haku found that the genin matched him step for step. The last thing he remembered was the name of the strange genin suddenly resurfacing in his mind as darkness consumed him.

The battle ended with Kakashi building up the chidori, and releasing it just before he reached his target, instead, striking at a pressure point. Zabuza collapsed. Just then, the sound of clapping reached their ears…

Naruto, who was methodically removing the senbon from Sasuke's prone form, flicked his wrist. Several dozen yards away, Gato collapsed, a senbon in his throat, eyes, and forehead.

* * *

A week and a half later, Gatou was dead, the bridge was complete, and Zabuza and Haku were accompanying Team 7 back to Konoha.

**A/N:** Ok, very short and curt chapter. Sorry, but I really wasn't in the mood to write out everything that happened.

**Edit: 2/3/07 12:10 PM A/N II:** There. Chapter 14 redone. Love me, thank me, review for me.


	16. The Oracle's Judgement

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 15: Will they be Allowed to Stay? The Oracle's Judgement

No one would ever know how Naruto had managed to get Zabuza and Haku to accompany Team 7 into Konoha, and at the same time, neither Zabuza nor Haku would ever admit that they had been manipulated into it, not that they knew how they had been manipulated into joining Konoha…

Only Naruto knew that, and he wasn't telling, not yet, anyway…

* * *

As the sun began to set beyond the horizon, a set of rooms normally unused in the Hokage Tower were illuminated by the soft light of a series of candles in various parts of the room. Carefully, piece by piece, the white, silver, and black ceremonial robes were assembled on the slender body. Pale and slender hands slid under shimmering golden tresses and flicked them out of the collar of the robes, and tiny silver bells at the ends of the wide white sleeves trimmed with silver tinkled. He turned, and picked up a brush which he ran quickly through golden tresses, and set it down and left the room wordlessly.

* * *

Haku and Zabuza stood in the center of the chamber, in the center of the tiled design of the leaf emblem.

In front of them was the Hokage who behind a desk on a raised dais and seated on his left was Jiraiya. The desk was cloaked with purple, a single red banner hanging over the edge bearing in black, the emblem of the leaf, and over the cloth was a thin glass cover. Beneath the dais, was a black chair, on the black cloth back, in fine gold thread, was stitched a seven pointed star in the center of which was a triangle surrounding an eye. The seat was reserved for the Oracle. To the left of the large, circular chamber were the members of the Council and to the right were the Jounin. All around the room were masked figures, Hunters and ANBU stood at attention, so they formed two circles along the walls, alternating between the masked elites.

The heavy double doors behind the two nuke-nin swung open, and their benefactor entered.

The Oracle was dressed in a long sleeved black shirt with a high mandarin collar decorated with ornate silver embroidery was under the white over robe with long, wide sleeves edged in black, decorated with silver embroidery, held shut by a black sash, also decorated with silver embroidery. At the edge of the sleeves, were two tiny golden bells which rang softly as he moved. Under the robe, he wore a pair of plain black pants and a pair of black cloth shoes. On the back of the robe, stitched in fine golden thread, was the outline of a seven pointed star, in the center of which was a triangle surrounding an eye.

The Oracle entered the room, and behind him were Duo, Trowa, Wufei, and Heero. All four were dressed in the Preventors dress uniform, their guns holstered at their sides. The only additions to the uniforms would be the kunai holsters on their legs, the standard equipment pouch on their belts, and the hitae-ate bound to their left fore-arm bearing the symbol of the Oracle beside the leaf insignia. They didn't wear their hats, though they were tucked under one arm. The hitae-ate marked them as the guardians of the Oracle, and simultaneously bound them to Konoha so long as the Oracle served the village.

"Let us begin…" the Oracle said, and he stood in front of his chair. "Though I have brought these two to the village, and though this council have already heard my reasons for bringing them here, I leave it to this council to judge them, and decide amongst yourselves if they are worthy of citizenship within this village. The Hokage and the Oracle are here as witnesses. Momochi Zabuka, and Haku, here you will be judged. Your fates lie solely on the decision of the Council and the Jounin. If there is an equal vote between our Council and the Jounin, the last votes will be given to the Masked Elite. Answer truthfully, for every lie or half truth will be detected, and that will be another strike against you."

The two nuke-nin fidgeted nervously under the intense gaze of the pale eyed Oracle. To Haku, only the kind, grandfatherly features of the Hokage took the edge off the sharp, impersonal atmosphere emanating from the room, emphasized only by the cool, emotionless pale eyes devoid of any of the warmth which had accompanied the offer to integrate as a Konoha-nin. The Oracle finally nodded and sat down, and the Head of the Council stood up. He unrolled a scroll, and cleared this throat, and in a monotone voice, began to read out the charges against Zabuza and Haku…

* * *

"What do you think will happen?" Duo murmured.

"Simply put," the Oracle murmured, discretely raising a hand to cover his mouth and tilting his head to the left, "The Hokage will question them, and they will answer. The jounin and council will sit and listen, and debate, and in the meantime, I will sit here and look imposing and wise, and the four of you are to look impressive. The thing that will decide it, however, is whether or not they believe my reasons for bringing them here will really benefit the village. Considering how respected the Oracle is, the Council will likely vote to take in Zabuza and Haku for the simple reason that **I** had brought them here. The jounin, however, will not be so trusting. A ninja that has defected to another village will not be so readily trusted, since they had defected from their home village, what would keep them from defecting from ours? If there is an equal vote, the four of you will circulate around the chamber between the Hunters and ANBU and take their decision and give it to the Hokage who will do the rest."

"And you?" Wufei asked.

"They are assuming that as the Oracle, I will know precisely what is happening, and how things are going," the Oracle shifted slightly, the bells tinkling quietly. "An incorrect assumption, but close enough to the truth that previous Oracles had no problems leaving it uncorrected."

'And you will follow in their footsteps?" Trowa asked.

The Oracle's lips twitched. "There is no harm in letting the think what they want. Many Oracles have died by their own hands in the past, and it is recorded in the histories. It has happened often enough that those who live to see two Oracles in their lifetime can attest to the fact that all Oracles are only human, whatever they may seem."

"OK, second question," Duo said. The Oracle turned his head slightly, pale eyes briefly meeting with the former Deathscythe pilot. "How long will this take?"

"It depends," the elderly voice of the Sandaime said gently. "Sometimes it doesn't take more than a few minutes, sometimes it take a few days. The longest such a Council ever took here in Konoha has been recorded as twelve hours long, though the longest is recorded in the former Hidden Crane Village in Red Bean Country seventy years ago, in which it took a little over three days to completely finish reading the charges and make a vote. Of course, the person in question had been an S class criminal for over ten years…"

Duo swallowed nervously. "I hope it won't take too long…"

The Oracle smiled gently, the action hidden behind his sleeve and murmured, "Don't worry. If my estimate is correct, this shouldn't take more than four hours. If it does, then Zabuza and Haku will die, no matter that I intended for them to aid Konoha in the upcoming battles."

"Out of simple morbid curiosity just to pass the time," Wufei said, "What exactly happened to this Hidden Crane Village?"

"The same thing that happens to all former Hidden Villages," Sandaime said.

"It was destroyed," the Sandaime and Oracle said together.

"The Dragonfly-Crane War was one in a series of inter-village wars that are known to the modern world as the Shinobi Wars," the Oracle said, lowering his hand to his lap. "Seventy years ago, Hidden Dragonfly Village and Hidden Crane Village were among the strongest of the Hidden Villages, and then for reasons that were never fully disclosed, a war started between them. Dragonfly Village completely destroyed Hidden Crane, and the infants and young children were taken to be raised by Dragonfly-nin, and many of them in turn became Dragonfly-nin, who were most likely killed after Hidden Dragonfly was destroyed twenty years before."

Silence fell between the six as the Head of the Council continued to read the charges against Zabuza and Haku. The muffled sound of yawning could be heard from the Jounin and the rustling of cloth as several people shifted slightly.

* * *

Quiet whispers could be heard from the jounin, and the Oracle turned pale eyes toward them, though his head did not move…

"Do you think those two will have a chance?" Anko asked.

"I honestly don't know," Kakashi murmured. "The Oracle's intent is unknown to me. It's likely that the four that guard him and the Hokage as well as the Sannin are the only ones who know his intent for the two. All I can discern is that the Oracle has seen something in Zabuza and Haku worth saving, and perhaps he has selected them to supplement the human resources that he perceives to be lacking here in Konoha?"

"Or it is likely that the Oracle wishes for us to accept them of our own will, rather than accepting them because he has decided that they will be useful resource," Kurenai said quietly.

"It's the most likely conclusion," Ibiki said, "The Oracle will only be obeyed if his words do not offend or go against the morals of the person he commands. As he is not the Hokage, the Oracle would have to be considerate of our opinions in order to fully secure our cooperation."

"Back to the question at hand," Anko grumbled, "Do anyone think that those two will gain enough votes to join Konoha, regardless of the Oracle's plans for them?"

"The Oracle would know," Ebisu said, "Why don't you ask him?"

"Because he's too far away to ask and not be heard, idiot!" Anko hissed.

"What about you, Anko?" Kakashi said, after a while, "Do you think they'll make the cut?"

"I trust in the Oracle," Anko paused, choosing her words carefully, then said, "He would not purposefully bring danger to Konoha without warning or purpose. I believe that maybe they will be allowed to stay under watch, and be given tests of sincerity and loyalty before a final decision is made." She gave Kakashi a cocky grin, "And what about you, Kakashi? Do you think your student's newest set of strays will be accepted into this village despite everyone else's seeming distrust in them?"

Kakashi paused, then said, "Yes." Seeing Anko and Ibiki simultaneously raise an eyebrow at him, he elaborated, "Many of the Council will make a decision based on their experiences with previous Oracles, and those with a shinobi background will most likely agree to simply keep a potential threat under surveillance while simultaneously strengthening this village with the new blood and abilities. I myself believe that the Oracle must have seen something in them that would benefit the village, and in all recorded histories, no Oracle has ever led the village astray."

Asuma hmmed, then said, "In the end, it seems that most of this decision ultimately resolves into putting faith in the Oracle."

Genma snorted and said, "Like Kakashi has said, no Oracle has ever led this village astray. The Oracle that led the Shodai to build Konoha here had thrown a newborn village into the Shinobi Wars, but that ultimately led to our reputation for strength, even drawing bloodline traits here from Suna, Kiri, Kusa, and even Kumo among others. Our village's strength comes from our best kept secret, the All-Seeing-Eye which pierces through the mists of time. If anything, the ninja of Konoha who know of our history would all but throw themselves facedown over a mud puddle so the Oracle would not have to dirty their feet."

Ibiki and Anko exchanged secretive smiles as their headset clicked softly and crackled as a quiet voice came through, _"Well?"_

The two tokubetsu jounin glanced at the Oracle and his four guardians and gave near imperceptible nods. The Oracle lowered his eyes slightly in a nod of approval before turning his eyes back to the front, and just in time as the Council Head had just finished the charges.

"Momochi Zabuza and apprentice, Haku," the Sandaime said, "You have heard the charges against you. How do you plead?"

"Guilty, Hokage-sama," Zabuza said.

Heero's headset crackled and the Oracle murmured, _"Ask them why they are joining the Leaf."_

Heero stepped forward and said calmly, "What are your reasons for entering the Leaf?"

Haku and Zabuza shifted, and Haku said, "Because Zabuza-san desired it."

The Oracle calmly arched an elegantly sculpted golden eyebrow.

The headset he wore, hidden by his loose hair crackled, and Duo's incredulous voice muttered, _"What kind of fucked up reason is that?!"_

"_A very good reason, Duo,"_ Ibiki murmured into his microphone, hidden in the collar of his coat. _"For a shinobi, at least, its an acceptable reason since its drilled into our heads from the moment we first set foot inside the Academy, a shinobi must obey their commander. Since they defected from the Mist, for Haku, Zabuza most likely took the place of the commanding officer."_

"_Not so,"_ the Oracle murmured, _"It is quite incredible how an abused child will cling to the first person who shows them even a small measure of kindness, isn't it? Now pay attention. Hokage-sama is about to insert his own two cents…"_

"Oh?" Sandaime said, "And did you desire to come to Konoha, Haku?"

Haku paused and murmured, "Yes."

"Why?" Sandaime said.

Haku murmured, "Because I had a friend here. Because he offered me a chance to have more than just one precious people. Because I felt safe with him, as if I need never worry about being killed simply because I was with Zabuza-san…"

The Oracle's headset crackled and Anko's voice came through, _"Is that how you got them to come?"_

The Oracle nodded, his eyes fixed on the two nuke-nin as if urging them on.

Haku took heart from the Oracle's gentle nudge, and said more firmly, "I came because it was the best choice for both Zabuza-san and myself, because my friend had offered solace and sanctuary, and because he saw and knew without asking the betrayal that had driven Zabuza-san and his fellow Seven Swordsmen from the Mist with their allies, and offered a way to make things right, to clear our good names."

Shocked murmurs rippled through the chamber, and the masked Elite lined up against the walls shifted, and their chakra rippled softly, the only sign of their agitation. The Hokage frowned and looked down toward the Oracle.

"Lord Oracle," the Sandaime said, "With your All-Seeing-Eyes, pierce the mists of time, and tell us, "What is the truth behind the defection of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?""

The Oracle leaned back in his chair, folding his hands in his lap and closed his eyes. Heero, Duo, Trowa, and Wufei shifted and formed several hand seals and set up a protective barrier around the Oracle.

* * *

Several hours passed, and every eye in the chamber was fixed on the Oracle, as blood seeped from beneath closed eyes to trail down pale skin. Finally, the Oracle released a shuddering breath and straightened in the chair and opened his eyes. The four former Gundam Pilots released the technique and returned to their posts, but for Heero, who fished out a plastic bag containing a moist towel, with which he carefully cleaned the blood from the Oracle's face.

"Lord Oracle," the Sandaime said, "What did you See?"

"The Mizukage ordered the complete eradication of all who bear bloodlimits in Kiri," the Oracle murmured, "and he used the Seven Swordsmen as tools for that task. When news was received of the monstrosity taking place in Kiri, the Mizukage laid the blame on the shoulders of the Seven Swordsmen, who were forced to flee for their lives."

Horrified silence descended. Then a Council member asked, "What does the future hold for us if we were to take in these two?"

"A difficult time of trial," the Oracle said, "One which will make our village grow in strength after a moment of weakness and a shift in the balance of power."

"A shift in the balance of power?" another Council member said, "What shift in power?"

"The death of the current Hokage, and the rising of one of the two Sannin loyal to this village to fill the empty seat of power," was the Oracle's immediate answer.

A shocked silence once again filled the chamber.

"It is only one of many possibilities," the Oracle said, "And easily one of the better possibilities that exist. Or would you rather Orochimaru raze the village to the ground?"

The Sandaime coughed quietly, drawing attention to him, and he turned to the two nuke-nin and said, "Why did you wish to join this village?"

Zabuza shrugged and said tightly, "We were tired, that's all, and Haku needed the company. If I were to be killed by Oinin, it would be of no consequence, but Haku… His only crime is that he is so dear to me. He is like my son, and all I want is the best for him…" He trailed off, looking uncomfortable, knowing that he had said more than he had intended.

The Oracle's lips curled in a fond smile. "Very well. If there are no more questions?" No one said anything and the Oracle nodded. "Then we shall begin the vote. Council, and jounin, there is a pen and a bit of paper under your chair. Please inscribe your vote and pass it to the front, and to the left, and Trowa and Wufei will collect them for the Hokage to count. You have five minutes, beginning… Now."

* * *

Nearly ten minutes later, the Hokage set aside the last bit of paper, and swiftly scribbled something on a bit of paper. The Oracle nodded at Duo, who collected the paper and passed it to the Head of the Council.

The Head stood up, and said, "After careful deliberation, this Council has voted to allow Kiri nuke-nin, Momochi Zabuza and his apprentice, Haku, to remain in Konoha as probationary nin until further notice."

The Oracle nodded and rose to his feet. "Then so be it," he said, "Congratulations, Zabuza and Haku, and welcome to the ranks of the Konoha-nin." He turned and bowed to the Sandaime. "With your permission, Hokage-sama, I take my leave."

The Sandaime nodded, and the Oracle inclined his head, turned, and swept out of the chamber, the Oracle's Four (Heero, Trowa, Duo, and Wufei), trailing after him.

* * *

Two hours later, Naruto, dressed in navy slacks with a light blue dress shirt sat in the Sandaime's office.

"So now what?" Jiraiya murmured.

"Haku proctors the exam with my Four while Zabuza and the ANBU pick off the Sound-nin that are inside the village one by one during the Third Exam," Naruto said.

"You seem pretty confident about this, brat," Jiraiya said.

Nnaruto's eyebrows furrowed, and he murmured, "There is a chance for everything, and I'm taking the chance that this will be the best course of action for this village."

Sandaime sighed, his face tired. "I'm sorry that we must burden you farther, Naruto," he said, "But I'm afraid that from the moment your eyes manifested, another unwanted burden was placed upon your shoulders."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Why am I not surprised that you feel that way?" he muttered, then said firmly, "It's not your fault. Hell, blame my blood if need be, but do not, ever, blame yourself for this, Sandaime-ojiji."

Sandaime gave Naruto a tired, watery smile. "I'll try my best," he said quietly.

Naruto nodded. "Good, now, about the spies in Konoha, please do not be surprised if you wake up one morning to find Yakushi Kabuto hanging from a room, drained of all his blood. I will not allow a spy in this village while an enemy plans an invasion against us."


	17. Secret Sorrow

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 16: Secret Sorrow

Time moved on, and Zabuza and Haku, having been accepted as probationary ninja, found themselves given mission after mission in which to prove their loyalty and to reinforce their desire to stay on as ninja of the Leaf. Team 7 had a similar time, although instead of high level B or A rank missions, they received D ranks.

Several weeks later, everything changed…

* * *

As they finished weeding Tanaka-san's garden, the beating of wings drew Naruto and Kakashi's eyes upward. Noting the falcon, a secret smile crossed Naruto's lips, knowing that the Hokage was summoning all chunnin and jounin to discuss the upcoming chunnin exams. Of course, he wouldn't tell Kakashi about it, since he would find out about it once he met with the Hokage.

A faint pang of pain shot through his heart, and absently, his hand drifted upward, fisting the material over his chest. Naruto closed his eyes and carefully reinforced the barrier he had set up in his mind to seal away the part of him that was bound to Kakashi. He wasn't going to let the past repeat itself, and to do that, he would follow the footsteps of other Oracles, by loving without love, by guiding without leading, and ending his life when his use came to an end. It would be better that way…

Another burst of pain, sharper this time, sprang through him. Naruto grit his teeth even as his knuckles turned white.

Oracles were tools, more so than shinobi. He would breed as was his duty, to pass on his eyes, and then he would die.

* * *

Kakashi watched Naruto worriedly. The blonde had been gripping at his heart more and more often lately. Something was obviously wrong, and while he had brought his worries to the Sandaime, he had learned that the Sandaime had noticed it as well, but Naruto had simply never spoken of it.

Because he never spoke of it, the Sandaime did not press. It was an unspoken law. The Oracle did not speak unless it was necessary, and if they didn't speak, one did not press them. Those who bore the Kazama blood would speak when they did, and others would simply have to accept it.

* * *

As Naruto predicted, Kakashi nominated Team 7 for the Chunnin Exams. This irritated Sasuke and Sakura like nothing else, as they had only a little under twenty-four hours to prepare. Naruto, on the other hand, thought little of it, after all, it was near impossible to be surprised when one had knowledge of the future.

* * *

Naruto, clad in a black vest over a long sleeved fishnet shirt and a pair of black slacks and black gloves, with his distinctive golden hair tucked under a black bandanna with a black metal plate engraved with the symbol of the leaf in the center, with many tiny symbols of the Oracle carved delicately along the edge, arrived at the Academy gates at precisely noon. Sasuke and Sakura arrived minutes later.

* * *

They slipped through the crowd, and Naruto refrained from rolling his eyes as Sasuke chose to prove the superiority of the Uchiha rather than allowing those who were fooled by the genjutsu to be disqualified by default. Lee confronted Sasuke again, as to be expected, and Naruto was hard pressed not to break out into mad peals of laughter as he watched Sasuke get thoroughly humiliated by the handicapped genin.

Once they met with Kakashi outside of Room 301, and assured him that they would indeed proceed with the exam, they entered. Naruto could all but taste the hostility in the room, and wondered how he had ever missed it. It was not long until the Rookies were approached by Yakushi Kabuto, and the genin from Sound attacked. Then Ibiki and the other chunnin proctors arrived, and the first exam began…

* * *

Naruto was silent as the room slowly dropped from a hundred or so teams to anywhere from forty to fifty as the hapless genin were caught blatantly cheating by the proctors. He tilted his head to as Haku launched three kunai in succession, and his eyes locked with the former mist-nin and Haku spared a faint smile. Naruto's lips twitched and he turned his attention to the four Gundam pilots positioned in the four corners of the room. They were doing well, he noticed, of course, Gundam pilots were not the easiest people to get past, and they had all been trained to tell when people were sloppily (for them at least) trying to gather information whether on them, or something not of their affairs.

Ten minutes before the forty-five minute mark, Naruto activated his Yochigan and began to write on his test.

* * *

Not long after, as Ibiki gave the flight or fight question, Naruto noticed Sakura tentatively moving to raise her hand. He twisted in his seat and shot the pink haired girl a harsh glare laced with killing intent. If you give up, he mouthed, and he drew his hand across his throat. Sakura gulped, nodded, and lowered her hand.

Naruto sighed, shook his head, and turned to face front. Ibiki caught his eye and smirked. Naruto raised an eyebrow in question and Ibiki shook his head. The blonde's eyes narrowed, and Ibiki signed, I'll tell you later. Naruto nodded.

When the room was sufficiently empty, Ibiki smirked and said, "To all of you still in this room, congratulations, you all pass the first portion of this exam."

As expected the genin exploded in a whirlwind of protests. Ibiki easily put them all down, and the room fell silent. Then a large black wad of fabric crashed through the window and the four corners pinned to the ceiling and floors with kunai. A dark haired woman with dark hazel eyes grinned out at them.

"Alright you maggots! I'm Mitarashi Anko, your examiner for the second exam!"

Naruto covered his smile with a hand. Once again, Anko had barged in without taking in the atmosphere that had been generated in the room. It didn't worry him much, because even without the Yochigan, he knew that most of the genin still remaining would die, and those who didn't would mostly be the Konoha Rookies.

In the meantime, Anko counted the genin and nodded. "Alright, report to training area 44 in twenty minutes!" and she vanished in a puff of smoke.

* * *

Ibiki watched as Naruto left the room. His eyebrows creased with worry.

Oracle or not, Naruto was not as close to the Rookies as he had been in the past, and there was a sort of rift in between them all. Ever since their return, most of Naruto's interactions had been with either Ibiki, Anko, the other Gundam pilots, or the Hokage. The Oracle was isolating himself from the rest of the world, and that did not bode well for his future…

* * *

Naruto sighed as they entered the Forest of Death. Same old, same old, he thought, having the Yochigan and his true name gave him respect, but not one that was earned. He was being judged by the actions of his predecessors and family name, and so for him, failure was not an option. He glanced over at Sasuke. If Sasuke wasn't marked, then the All-Seeing-Eyes would be, but if Sasuke was marked, then he would die. Either way, it was a lose-lose situation. To save Sasuke, he would have to sacrifice himself, but to save himself, he would have to sacrifice Sasuke who would kill him, and the All-Seeing-Eyes would be lost anyway. Naruto's eyes narrowed. If necessary, he would kill Sasuke, there would be no way out of it.

Sasuke and Sakura glanced over at the blonde, and both felt a thrill of fear down their spines. The pale eyes were cold as ice, and a catlike golden slit took the place of his pupils while a cool, impersonal wind blew past, whisking leaves into the air, causing his clothes to flutter about his lithe form gently.

"We will travel in the trees toward the tower with all haste," Naruto said, his voice cool and impersonal. "We will not stop until we reach the tower and gain a scroll."

Sasuke glared angrily, and Naruto sighed. "Humans rarely look up, and even the Hyuuga tend to look around instead of below or above. It'll be easier to surprise other teams if we move in from above."

Sasuke couldn't disagree with the logic, and nodded, but his glare never let up.

* * *

It wasn't fair! He was the last Uchiha, he should have been respected and loved, he was given whatever he needed, but that dobe… He wasn't blind, he had seen how Naruto had commanded people, and how the ANBU and other ninja all but bent over backwards to get him what he wanted. He had seen how the Hokage and the Council obeyed the blonde like sheep and how people stopped to listen when Naruto spoke, how others would bow to him and give him whatever he wanted. The people of Konoha gave the dobe all the power, all the respect, gave him everything and held nothing back, but he, the mighty Uchiha was given blank looks and hard, unforgiving stares and whispers of how he might be like his brother behind his back.

Half the time, he was treated with respect only because Naruto had spoken for him, and that Naruto was almost always seen with him. Sasuke wasn't blind. He knew that there was something about the blonde, but the blonde never gave him any power. Naruto was almost always in control of the situations that Team 7 often found themselves in, and that despite the Hokage being the leader of Konoha, the actual power lay with Naruto.

Sasuke wasn't blind, and he knew that half the time, he, the last of a great clan, got the castoffs from Uzumaki Naruto. If Sasuke hated his brother, he hated Naruto more, because Naruto controlled what Kakashi taught them, because Naruto had the power to turn the entirety of Konoha against him at a word, because he cared about Naruto and Naruto cared about him but would never give him what he wanted. Sasuke wanted power, power that Naruto refused to give him, power that Naruto had but would not share.

* * *

Naruto sighed as he felt Sasuke's heated glare against his back.

Power he would not share, eh? Oh, he would share his power, Sasuke had only ask, but the stupid boy was too stubborn and prideful to do so. It was one of the many things that irked him.

Yet nevertheless, Naruto knew that Sasuke's livelihood lay in his hands. After all, hadn't he already named Sasuke as his Death? Had he not intervened, the Council would have stripped the Uchiha of his shinobi status and had placed him under twenty-four hour surveillance in order to ensure that he did not harm the Oracle.

Naruto felt his eyes prickle. He grit his teeth and forced chakra to his eyes, activating the Yochigan consciously for the first time in years.

Instantly, the area around Team 7 began to blur as Naruto slowed time around them, and sped up time in their bubble, forcing them to reach the tower much more swiftly then would be normal. Naruto reached out and snatched a scroll from the hands of an Ame-nin who had been in the process of tossing the scroll from hand to hand.

Sasuke and Sakura blinked, and Sasuke smirked.

Naruto let loose a whoop of laughter for the first time in a long time, glad to have brought something to Sasuke's features that was not so emo. For a moment, Naruto felt lighter, and then he slowly manipulated time around them so they were moving at a normal pace, and they vanished into the Tower…

* * *

Anko arrived and stared at the three genin who had entered the tower. Initially, she had been expecting the Sand Team followed by Team 8, but then again… Her eyes landed on the black clad figure leaning against the wall, his eyes shut tight, his hand fisted over his heart. Anko recognized the gesture from Quatre whenever he was sensing someone in great pain, but she knew better.

Ever since Naruto sealed away the part of him that connected him to Kakashi, the boy had been feeling phantom pains in his heart. At first it had so worried the Hokage that he had sent for Tsunade who had come only because the Oracle had included his mark on the letter, and it was determined that there was nothing wrong with the boy. Even Kyuubi had done his own examination of his vessel's body, and had reported that there was nothing wrong. After that, they had summoned the Yamanakas, and Yamanaka Inoshi had made the mental examination and told them that it was because a part of Naruto had been sealed off. Basically, the pain was like a genjutsu, it fooled the mind into thinking that the heart had been injured in some way and sent bursts of pain through the blonde's pain receptors as a warning. If it kept up, Naruto could well die from the pain alone.

It was a question of how long it would be before Naruto was no longer able to hide it from the ever watchful eyes of the Konoha shinobi who guarded the village's precious Oracle. Once they realized what was going on, either Naruto would have to accept the pressure and undo the seal, or he would be relieved of his duties as a ninja.

* * *

Time was running out, Orochimaru thought, and he still hadn't found Team 7. There were rumors of the team led by Hatake Kakashi which not only included Uchiha Sasuke, but also a Kazama.

A _Kazama_…

The snake Sannin all but salivated at the thought.

If there truly was a Kazama on that team, then not only could he gain the Sharingan, but he could also potentially gain the Yochigan… With the Yochigan's ability to transcend time, he truly _could_ learn all the jutsu of the world! With the Sharingan, he would have to exert the barest of effort to gain them. The sheer numbers of possibilities that came from having the two eyes were endless!

The sannin laughed maniacally as he moved on, tracking Team 7 by the faint chakra trails that they had left behind…

He would have the Yochigan and the Sharingan, and then he would be _unstoppable_…


	18. Clouded Sight

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 17: Clouded Sight

"_Kit…"_

The voice was deep, guttural, with a primal tone…

"_You won't be able to keep this up for much longer…"_

There was a hint of affection in the voice…

"_You'll die if this keeps up…"_

The Kyuubi may be a demon, but even a demon would have to have some affection for a vessel whom he had been sealed in, to whose soul he was bound for all eternity. Hell, even Shukaku had come to care for the blonde, and Shukaku wasn't even bound to the blonde by a seal!

Naruto groaned quietly, and replied, _"I have no doubt, but the seal must hold… Our bond can only end in pain…"_

"_Do not judge by the things you have Foreseen,"_ the Kyuubi growled, _"Judge rather by the things you see. He can already feel it, the bond between you… You know the consequences that come with refusing a soul bond."_

"_Nevertheless, the seal must hold, if only for a little while longer…"_

The Kyuubi made an irritated noise and fell silent, becoming little more than a warm presence in the back of Naruto's mind. The blonde carefully loosened the edges of the seal that he had put into place, allowing the faintest hint of the bond to trickle through, soothing away the hurts, before tightening it, ruthlessly cutting off the bond before it could surge out from behind the seal and anchor itself. It would stop the pain for a while, but then the empty part of his soul would begin to reach out once more, searching for something that was there, but just out of reach, sealed away by its own entity…

* * *

Kakashi shivered slightly as he felt something warm surge through him, a faint excitement and expectation, and a strange but comforting feeling of completion. Then the feeling vanished, and Kakashi found himself feeling cold, and oddly incomplete, as though something very precious had just been taken away. It was a sensation that came fairly often nowadays, but the fact that it had begun just as Naruto began to have pains in his heart was just a coincidence.

Kakashi sighed. Practically every one knew about the Oracle's declining health, and it was only a matter of time before some decisive action was taken. There was no doubt that the Oracle was most likely to be taken off the shinobi rosters and given a place of honor in the Konoha Ruling Council, but that was a tentative idea, one that was about as likely to be made into reality as the Kyuubi was to manifest. The Oracle came from the bloodlines of two clans famous for their obstinacy, the Magami and the Kazama.

If the Kazamas were Konoha's guides, then the Magami were Konoha's Hunters. And then the Kyuubi came, and the Magami went out to slow it, and lost their lives in the process. The only Magami who survived the onslaught were three genin, who were kept with other genin with orders to keep order within the refuge in the Hokage Monument, and Magami Tokiko and her baby who was sacrificed within moments of his birth. Tokiko herself lived long enough to give her baby a name, Kazuki, and to attend her husband's funeral, then died. The other three Magami never knew of their newborn kin, and died a few years later in the conflict with Cloud.

The Kazamas, by the time of the Yondaime's acceptance of his genin team, numbered three, the Yondaime, his sister, Kazama Chizuru who was the previous Oracle, and their father. The elder Kazama died in the conflict with stone, and Chizuru commited suicide three months before the Kyuubi arrived in Konoha. Then the Yondaime had died, and his son became the last of the clan.

Kakashi sighed. Both clans were as old as Konoha herself, and had been the foundations of her founding, but with one conflict with a Tailed-Beast, had been reduced to one person, the current Oracle. It would be a miracle if the winds of time could fan the smoldering ashes into a brightly burning flame once more.

* * *

Orochimaru was upset. No, he was more than upset; he was furious. Team 7 had arrived in the Tower, the one place where he could not reach them, and the _gift_ he had been preparing for Uchiha Sasuke and the presumed Kazama could not be delivered. It was a devastating blow to his plans.

But never mind that, there were other ways to deliver his gift, but once the ANBU found the corpses of the _real_ Kusa-nin, and he had no doubt that they would, the last Uchiha and the presumed Kazama would be closely monitored. It would become near impossible to approach either of them without being detected.

The Snake Sannin cursed angrily, but as quickly as his rage came, it was replaced by anticipation. Even if he could not mark the Last Uchiha or the Kazama, then at the very least, he would have the destruction of Konoha to revel in, and if not, then the death of his former sensei. A malicious smile crossed the former Sannin's lips. Yes, there were other ways for his plans to come to fruition…

* * *

While Sasuke and Sakura slept in their temporary apartments in the tower, Naruto had been carted off by the ANBU for a meeting with the Hokage and the Ruling Council. He sat still in the chair, his head tilted back, hands folded serenely in his lap, and his eyes closed while the ANBU, Council, and Sandaime watched with expectant eyes. Finally, he sighed and sat up straight and opened his eyes.

"There are many possible paths from here," he said, choosing his words carefully, "but my Sight is clouded. From this point on, the Human Entity will be the deciding factor in the conflict to come. I can guide this village no farther, and from here on in, Konoha must either stand on her own two feet, or fall into ruin and destruction."

"I see," the Sandaime said, "thank you for your time, Lord Oracle."

Naruto nodded and said, "I can say only this, so long as the hearts of all Konoha-nin hold true, then this village's chance of survival becomes greater. All we can do now is hope for the best."

"But what can hope do for us?" one Elder said, "If the Oracle cannot guide us when our village stands on the brink of destruction, then what can be done? Hope? Hope will do nothing but hasten our destruction!"

"There is always hope!" Naruto protested, "Because the Shodai held firm to the hope that he could lead his people to a place where they could settle and live in relative peace, Konoha was founded! Because the Nidaime had hope that Konoha had a future, the village flourished! Because the Sandaime had hope the Sannin were born! Because the Yondaime had hope, the Kyuubi was sealed! Because the Sandaime had hope for the future, he remains in power now! There is always hope!"

"Yes, but hope will not allow this village to survive!" the Elder snarled. "You've led this village to destruction Oracle!"

"That is the very kind of thinking that would be the cause of Konoha's downfall!" Naruto responded. "Have faith in the strength of Konoha!" The blonde winced and pressed his hand against his chest above his heart. "While there are ninja to bear the Konoha hitae-ate, there is hope!"

The Oracle still argued for the village despite his failing health, other Elders murmured. There was hope so long as the Oracle was steadfast, and the Elder who was faithless bowed before the tide of disapproval.

"Then I will have faith," he said, "but it will be difficult."

"Then stand to the side and watch as a neutral party," the Oracle responded in a cool voice.

And with that, the Council was adjourned.

* * *

The five days passed, and the genin who made it to the tower within those five days were the Rookie genin, team Gai, the team containing Yakushi Kabuto, and the Sound team. Naruto sighed as they gathered in the arena and learned that there were to be a preliminary set of matches to decide who would advance to take the tournament exam.

As the matches went underway, Naruto's grip on the metal railing tightened until his knuckles turned white. Kakashi watched his student with worried eyes. The blonde's face was expressionless, though the tension in his body and his clear, pale eyes gave away the pain he was feeling.

"If you're in pain," Kakashi murmured, placing his hands on the blonde's shoulders, "Then perhaps you shouldn't participate."

"No," Naruto whispered, "I have to be here. The choices made in this tower will determine the future to come, and I must be here to stabilize that future…"

"You are not well!" Kakashi hissed. "Other ninja may not say it, but practically every shinobi in Konoha is aware that you're not at your best! If you don't feel up to it, then forget about it! Don't push yourself!"

"It must be done," Naruto said as another pang of pain lanced through his chest, causing him to bring up his hand to press against his heart. "This is my duty as the Oracle. I must do this. If I do not, then it will never be done…"

"You're killing yourself like this!"

Naruto carefully lifted the edge of the seal that separated him from his soul bond, allowing the bond to slip through slightly, soothing away the majority of the pain. "Then I will welcome my Death with open arms."

Kakashi stared at the blonde in shock. "Naruto…"

"The last match will be Kinuta Dosu and Kazama Kazuki!" Hayate called in between bouts of racking coughs.

"Konoha must go through a difficult trial. Whether or not she can stand without the Oracle's Eyes to guide her will decide whether she stands or falls." Naruto's hands tightened on the rail. "Everything will be fine, so long as there are Konoha-nin who bear the hitae-ate with pride and fight well and strong for this village. We all must have faith in that or this village will fall." With that, Naruto vaulted over the rail.

As soon as he hit the ground, Naruto faced Dosu with a calm and impassive face.

"Ready?" Hayate asked.

The two competitors nodded.

"_The bond is beginning to anchor itself."_ The Kyuubi's voice murmured. _"You have a little under five minutes before the process is complete and you're rendered all but helpless… Needless to say, you'll be in a lot of pain…"_

"Very well. Begin!"

"_I see…" _Naruto's eyes narrowed. _"Then we had best finish this quickly…"_

As soon as he finished the thought, his near invisible slit pupil widened and became a seven pronged golden star, which began to rotate slowly. Dosu's eyes narrowed, and Naruto smirked and lunged forward, a kunai in his hand. The Sound genin attempted to move, but found that his limbs would not respond. The feeling of cold metal against his neck made him blink.

"I will fractionally lift the genjutsu holding your vocal cords still, and you will forfeit," Naruto said, "If you don't, you will die a long and painful death."

Dosu found that the pressure on him seemed to lift and he spat at the blonde. Naruto frowned and wiped away the spittle before quickly slitting the Sound-nin's throat. Dosu collapsed to the ground limply, and Naruto stepped back.

"Winner," Hayate said, "Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto nodded curtly and Hayate placed a hand on his shoulder. "Will all the competitors who passed the preliminary round please enter the arena?"

As the Hokage gave his speech, Naruto felt a dull pain beginning to spread throughout his body as the bond began to fully anchor itself in his soul. In the meantime, the Konoha Jounin (and in the case of Kotestu and Izumo, chunnin) who stood together behind the Hokage watched worriedly as Naruto tensed and his eyes clouded with unvoiced pain. Once the seven genin had selected their numbers and Ibiki had shown them the line up for the matches, they were excused for the rest of the month.

Once the last genin and foreign nin had left, Naruto, sure of his safety from being surrounded by loyal Konoha-nin, collapsed, his hand clutching his heart, his eyes screwed tightly shut, biting back a scream of pain. Instantly, the Jounin and the Hokage were kneeling beside him.

"Naruto?" the Sandaime said worriedly.

A sudden blast of chakra flowed from the blonde's body, and the Konoha-nin still in the arena applied chakra to keep from getting blown away. Wave after wave of chakra is expelled from Naruto's body. Through it all, the Yochigan spins, and his eyes bleed, and while a searing pain seeps through out his body, a warm feeling slips through his soul, soothing away the pain and the soul deep loneliness, filling up the emptiness in his mind. Then, as suddenly as it came, the chakra waves stopped, and the pain vanished. Naruto could feel the golden energy humming through his veins and the single bond stretched taut in his mind, the very same soul bond that he had nearly killed himself with by sealing it away. The blonde sighed in relief and he slipped into blissful darkness…


	19. The Weight of the World

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 18: The Weight of the World

Naruto rose slowly to awareness from the darkness. The sterile scent of antiseptics reached his nose, and the quiet blipping of a heart monitor and a steady drip drip of an IV were the only sounds in the room. Outside, he could sense a faint chakra, carefully controlled, wary and alert. He sat up, and looked around, his senses faintly registering the flaring of the chakra of the ANBU outside the door before it vanished.

A few seconds later, a group of doctors and nurses bustled in with the ANBU and Kakashi behind them. Ibiki and Anko appeared a few minutes later with the Hokage and Iruka.

"How are you feeling, Uzumaki-sama?" a doctor said, as a nurse prodded at him.

"Well enough," Naruto replied calmly, "How long have I been unconscious?"

"You've been sleeping for two days, Uzumaki-sama," a nurse said.

"Two days," Naruto repeated. He sighed. "I suppose that it could have been worse. When is it possible for me to leave?"

"We would like for you to remain in the hospital for the rest of the day or observation," the doctor said, "You may leave tomorrow morning if nothing happens."

* * *

When the room emptied of medical personnel and Iruka and the Sandaime said their part and left with Ibiki and Anko trailing behind them, only Kakashi and Naruto remained.

"Will you teach Sasuke the Chidori?" Naruto said quietly.

Kakashi's sole visible eye darkened. "I have no intention of teaching him the Chidori."

"And the Raikiri?"

"I will not teach him that either."

Naruto frowned. "You are aware that Sasuke will be fighting Gaara later? Without the Chidori or Raikiri, Sasuke will die."

"You'll die if he learns it," Kakashi whispered.

Blue eyes widened fractionally before his features smoothed over in a bland mask. It certainly explained a lot, Naruto thought absently. "That doesn't simply apply to Sasuke," Naruto said, gently placing his hand on the jounin's arm, "Two others beside Sasuke have the Sharingan. My prophesy could apply just as easily to either Uchiha Itachi or you."

Kakashi's eyes widened and all but recoiled from the blonde's touch. "No!"

Naruto stared at the jounin in shock. Such a powerful reaction from simple words… It seemed that Kakashi had had some feelings for him long before they had actively come together as a couple the first time around…

"Kakashi…" the name slipped from his lips in a quiet whisper, "Whether or not Sasuke knows the Chidori can easily determine the fate of Konoha. With the Chidori, he can either destroy or protect the village, without it, Sasuke would not be able to survive the Third exam, and if Sasuke doesn't know the Chidori, the village _will_ fall…"

Kakashi looked away, and Naruto could see the conflict inside the older man's mind. His desire to protect the Yondaime's son warred with his vow as a ninja to protect and ensure the future of his village, to serve the Hokage and his advocate.

"Kakashi…" Naruto made a motion as if to take Kakashi's hand, but stopped the motion partway, and laid his hands in his lap. Naruto looked away and said softly, "The defining piece is Sasuke. The Uchihas have always fallen into one of two categories, great saviors or great destroyers. Sasuke can be either, and it all rides on his choices and on things beyond his control. Will he remain loyal or will he defect? Does he have the Chidori or the Mangekyou? Does he have the curse seal or is he unmarked? Does he put aside revenge for Konoha and for the sake of the woman he loves, or does he pursue his vengeance? All of his choices push Konoha either to salvation or destruction. If Sasuke has the chidori, then at least Konoha has a chance to live. If not, then Konoha _will _fall."

Kakashi closed his eyes and said, "I will teach him the Chidori."

Naruto smiled.

"However," Kakashi continued, and Naruto's smile faltered as a single dark eye locked on cerulean, "If he sets one toe out of line, I will kill him."

Naruto's eyes widened as Kakashi turned. "No…" Naruto whispered. Kakashi opened the door and stepped outside. "No! Kakashi! Sasuke must live or Konoha will fall! Kakashi!"

* * *

The door closed with a decisive click and Kakashi leaned against the wall beside it and put his head in his hands. Kakashi breathed deeply and pulled his raging emotions under control, and left.

A portion of wall rippled as a genjutsu dropped, and Anko and Ibiki appeared. They exchanged concerned looks and quickly entered the room to see to their Rokudaime…

* * *

Naruto wrapped his arms around himself and lowered his head so his bangs hid his face. What had changed? How had a prophesy that he had spoken driven everything so far awry? Things were changing too much, too fast, and his sight was obscured. He could only see possibilities, not certainties, which left too much open to chance, too much could go wrong like this…

The door opened and Naruto felt a ripple of chakra as Ibiki and Anko walked in.

"The Eve Wars was far easier to predict," he whispered, "Gundam Pilots attack, enemy base is destroyed, Gundams pull out and resume guarding Relena while evading OZ and Romefellar. Nothing could go so badly wrong that the entire world would be at stake. In the Eve Wars, no matter which side won, the Earth Sphere and her colonies would have leaders acting in their best interest. With Ninja, it's so much more difficult. Ninja take and survive more abuse than even the Gundam Pilots, with Ninjutsu and Genjutsu to supplement Taijutsu, there is almost nothing that a ninja can't do… That and the fact that ninja as a rule are so damned unpredictable… One wrong move and we'll all fall to the power of a power hungry madman obsessed with the ideals of immortality. We'd all become Orochimaru's pet projects, and the world would become a living hell…"

The two interrogation specialists took a seat on either side of Naruto and hugged him.

"It'll be alright in the end," Anko said softly, repeating the words she had spoken almost two lifetimes ago. "Konoha is strong, and the Oracle aids us with his power and presence. All shinobi born in the Land of Fire bear the Will of Fire, and it is that will that will let us persevere and survive."

"I can't do this…" Naruto whispered, silent tears running down his face, "All of this… Its so… I can't… This dream… It's all too much… How could I ever be good enough…"

"Rokudaime-sama," Ibiki said, also speaking the same words he had spoken in his past, "You are our shadow, and we the fire. We serve and protect, and so long as Rokudaime-sama stands strong, so too can this village we protect."

"My sight is obscured," Naruto whispered, "and I see possibilities, and with the changes wrought, I sense that great danger looms upon the horizon, and I fear that not even the Will of Fire will be able to with stand the onslaught. I fear that a horrible fate awaits us all if we should fail, and I fear that now, I am helpless to do anything, and can only stand here, a silent spectator to what is to come… I can do nothing but watch… Watch as this village spirals farther and farther into darkness…"

Ibiki and Anko could only hold their Rokudaime in their embrace, offering silent support to their suffering leader...

* * *

As expected, Naruto left the next day. He walked through the door of the residence he shared with the other pilots only to get bowled over by a hyperactive Duo.

"Q-tra! You're back!"

Naruto laughed quietly, "Yes, yes, I'm back. What's gotten you in such a state, Duo?"

"MAXWELL!!!!!!!!" Wufei roared from the other side of the house.

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Well that certainly explains it," the blonde said as Duo dove behind him as a pink skinned and blue haired Wufei stormed down the stairs.

Wufei paused in his murderous rampage when he saw the blonde in the doorway. "Welcome back, Winner," he said curtly.

Naruto's lips curled in a smile. "It's good to be back," he replied, stepping forward and away from Duo.

Wufei nodded and pulled out his katana and lunged.

Duo _eeped_ and darted away, calling over his shoulder, "Quatre you traitor!"

Naruto chuckled and walked into the living room to be greeted by the sight of Trowa and Heero bent over some project. The blonde raised an eyebrow, and walked across the room toward the stairs. Previous experience had taught him that it was a bad idea to interrupt the two at their work…

The door to his room closed with a click.

* * *

The month passed in a blur of movement and training to the residents of what was quickly becoming known as the Oracle's Manor. Naruto easily pushed the former Gundam pilots to their limits and beyond, training them to take on the Sound Four and Kabuto if necessary. Ibiki and Anko worked to send the Sandaime their messages and warnings in secret, and slowly, step by step, person by person, Naruto's plans unfolded, until three nights before the Tournament Exam, all Konoha lay silent under the Oracle's watchful eyes, and the Ninja of the Leaf unknowing had laid all their faiths and hopes in the hands of the Oracle, for they positioned themselves according to his plan.

In those three days and three nights, the Oracle walked the street in secret, unseen, unheard, unnoticed and unhindered, and the under the golden light of the sun, and the silver light of the moon and stars, laid protections and blessings to hallow the very village in which he resided. On the last night, the watched as two enemies, once allies, blessed the village with blood and battle, and so the Oracle's thought came to pass under the pale silver glow of the lowing hanging moon.

After Baki departed, leaving Hayate to bleed to death, Naruto, clad in the formal robes of the Oracle appeared before the sickly jounin. He knelt beside the jounin, and his hands glowed with the pale green healing chakra over the wound.

"Oracle…" Hayate gasped, looking at the pale eyed blonde.

The Oracle took his hands away from the wound, the chakra dissipating, and took out a case, from which he drew a red and blue pill. "Eat this," he said, placing it on the jounin's lips, "It will replace the blood that you have lost."

Hayate nodded faintly, and swallowed the pill. The dying jounin felt a faint feeling of hope rising in him as the Oracle smiled and spoke once again.

"You did well, Gekkyou Hayate, and you will rest in safety tonight…" The Oracle helped the injured Jounin to stand, "Well, then…" and the two vanished in a puff of chakra smoke.

* * *

Ibiki blinked as the computer in from of him blipped and turned on, showing Naruto and a bloody Hayate appear in the foyer. The scarred man tossed down his pen and hurried out of his study and down the hall to offer his help.

"What happened!" Ibiki said urgently as they took Hayate into the back room where Trowa and Naruto were more often than not working in.

"He fought that Sand Jounin, what's his name, Baki something or other," Naruto said lightly.

"And you didn't try to stop it!?"

"What could I have done?" Naruto countered irritably as they lay Hayate down on a cot, "my actions are restricted here. All-Seeing my eyes may be, but even I cannot intervene in something that would bless this village in blood and allow her loyalty to never falter."

Ibiki sighed, "Perhaps let one of us know so you won't be needlessly endangering your health?"

"I have never endangered my health!"

Ibiki raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really," he said, "Then what about that time when you almost got killed fencing with a blunted foil?"

Naruto scoffed, "That doesn't even count as you were the one who instigated it, and besides, that battle is over four thousand years coming!"

Hayate blinked in confusion and said weakly, "Erm… Sorry to interrupt, but I'm kind of bleeding to death right about now…"

Naruto beamed at the injured jounin, "Don't worry, Hayate-san! We haven't forgotten about you just yet! We're just waiting for Trowa to come down."

"Status report," a male voice said, as the door opened.

"No injuries to myself, but the ally has an incision across the torso, no broken bones or other injuries," Naruto said promptly.

Trowa studied his friend closely, noting the dark circles under pale blue eyes. "When was the last time you slept?"

Naruto's shoulders tensed. "How can I sleep at such a time when all I do is dream of the streets slick with blood and choked with death, and it becomes impossible to see where the sky begins and the fire ends… And what do I hear but the whispers of death and the screams of the dying, intermingled with the stench of burnt and rotting flesh and the warm wetness of spilled blood flowing over my hands…"

There was a faint, tense silence, and Ibiki pushed Hayate quickly onto the bed as Trowa shook his head and pushed forward to help heal Hayate's injuries, his hand momentarily clasping Naruto's before releasing it and moving on. Naruto took a deep breath to steady himself, and moved forward, only for Anko to appear out of nowhere and push him onto one of the cots, and apply a sleeping genjutsu on the blonde. Naruto struggled for a moment, then gave in, and pale blue eyes closed as his breathing evened into the steady rhythm of sleep.

"He's asleep?" Ibiki said quietly as Hayate drifted off into unconsciousness as well.

Anko nodded. "The poor boy has been working himself to the point of collapse, setting up the Chakra Crystals and traps all over the village and in the shelters."

Trowa sighed and said, "It would have been better for him if he had just sent back the others instead of coming back here. While I know that it's not Quatre's nature to let things be, he could have simply sent them farther back to stop and prevent the future that occurred. If he had done that, he wouldn't be under so much pressure now."

"That may be true," Anko said, "But that's simply not the way his mind works."

"And what is done is done," Ibiki said, "All we can do is to support him, and aid him in rebuilding the future. Once the future is assured, he can rest, and we will all be there to ensure that he does rest. Afterwards, Those who can return will be sent back."

"Then we would be under suspicion for the deaths of Relena Dorlain Peacecraft, Quatre Raberba Winner, and Dorothy Catalonia," Trowa protested.

"Perhaps," Ibiki said.

"But none of you belong here," Anko said, "Naruto has already foreseen it, you won't be able to stay here because this isn't your time. Even if you did, you would have to live through four thousand years until you reach the moment when you left before you would start aging normally again."

"Not to say that the four of you can't be killed at this time," Ibiki said, "But if you do survive the ravages of the Era of Ninjutsu, would your minds survive the ravages of time?"

"Naruto only sees portions, and even his mind is beginning to crack under the strain," Anko said, "Could your mind survive the knowledge that you will be living for thousands and thousands of years?"

"In any case, that is a discussion for another time," Ibiki said, "For now, we are here to offer Naruto our support and skills, and we will see his dreams to fruition. We will save our future."

Trowa nodded reluctantly, and the three finished fixing up Hayate. Several hours later, they washed their bloody hands and put away the supplies.

"Well," Anko said, stretching, "I don't know about you, but I'm going to bed. We have an invasion to prevent tomorrow."

"Don't you mean today?" Ibiki said, smirking.

"Today, tomorrow, whatever," Anko said, "But I'm going to sleep. I will not go to war exhausted and bleary eyed."

"Good night then," Trowa said, and he vanished out the door.

"Good night," Ibiki and Anko said, and turned toward the figure of the sleeping blonde on the cot beside Hayate's.

"We will see your dream to fruition, Rokudaime-sama," Anko said, brushing her hand over Naruto's hair. "We followed you here from a faraway future drenched in blood, and we shall remain beside you."

"For the Gold Era of your dreams, Rokudaime-sama," Ibiki added.

The two left the room. Neither special jounin, in their exhaustion, realized that their words had been overheard by the semi-conscious jounin in the room…


	20. Prospective

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 19: Prospective

Zabuza grumbled under his breath as he stood watch at Konoha's Western gate. The night was a serene one, with the pale moon hanging low and round over the treetops, and the silent stars glowing in the night sky. To be truthful, the source of Zabuza's discontent lay not in the fact that he and three other Ninja had a graveyard shift in which Konoha's massive gates were barred, and that they had to challenge people from the top a the wall, it lay in the way the Konoha-ninja acted around him and Haku. Zabuza knew that he and Haku were accepted on the word of the Oracle, they were allowed their positions in Konoha because of Naruto. Despite the amount of faith the Konoha ninja placed in the judgment of the Oracle, they walked on eggshells around Zabuza and Haku, because the Oracle had spoken of spies in Konoha, but had not allowed any action, having claimed that the spies had a part to play in upcoming events.

Zabuza knew that he and Haku were only tolerated serving as Konoha-nin because the Oracle had spoken for them. The only thing Zabuza had to wonder about was why the Oracle had spoken for them, and what Naruto had brought them in for. Haku had assured Zabuza that they would not take the fall for what was to come, that Naruto's intentions were pure, but Zabuza was still wary. The Konoha-nin suspected him and Haku because of the timing of their entry into the village and because the Oracle had spoken of a purpose for their presences in the village.

* * *

The moon set slowly in the early morning as the sun made its way toward the horizon, and the night sky faded from a velvet black scattered with piercing silver and blue stars to a dark violet against which the fading stars shimmered and winked. Throughout the forest in which Konoha was set, the birds and beasts were waking and adding their waking songs to the songs of the night beasts and birds that were retreating from the day.

Gekkou Hayate saw and heard none of this as he lay in a cot in the infirmary of the Oracle's home. He stared at the ceiling, contemplating what he had overheard from Anko and Ibiki. He had been groggy and half conscious when he had overheard them, and he felt as though he were still dreaming. What he had overheard was almost too incredible to be true. He had known Ibiki and Anko for a long time, they had worked together before, and to Hayate, they had not changed all that much. But if what they said was actually true, then they had gone through incredible things, and had lived through a time in which Konoha's strength had dwindled to such a point that they and the Rokudaime had had to abandon the village to try and change things for the better by nipping the problem in the bud. Hayate watched as the sun rose higher in the sky, and resolved himself. He would confront Ibiki and Anko about what he had heard, and if it was true, then he would aid the two interrogation experts and the Rokudaime they had followed from the future as best as he could.

As he slipped into the blissful realm of unconsciousness, he faintly registered a figure dressed in black with golden hair and pale cerulean eyes stepping out of the shadows and placing a cool hand gently on his forehead.

"I offer my support…" he muttered as he drifted.

"Thank you for your support of us, Hayate," said a warm voice that rang with the clarity of a silver bell, "your skills will be invaluable to our grand cause… But for now, you have been badly injured, and you will need rest to heal, so I leave you to your sleep…"

"I am in your care, Oracle…" was all Hayate could say before darkness engulfed him.

"No, Hayate," Naruto said softly, brushing brown hair away from Hayate's sleeping face, "I am in yours. When you wake, I will tell you the part you shall play in what is to come and the burden that your semi-lucid oath has placed upon you…"

Naruto turned away from the sleeping jounin and left the room, pausing only to turn off all lights but for the faint light that filtered through the curtains from the twilight sky beneath which all Oracles were at their greatest…

* * *

The early morning sun hung low in the sky, his golden light bathing the world in warmth and light, and drawing aside the veil of night in which his sister moon held dominion. The violet of the early twilight that came in the passing of night and the coming of day was now a pale rose while the clouds overhead were tinted pink.

On the Hokage's monument, a figure clad in black and silver stood upon the head of the Yondaime Hokage. Beside him stood a figure clad in beige and another clad in black. The sun bathed him in light as his face was turned to the sky.

"A red sun rises," Naruto said softly, "Blood was shed in the night, and blood shall be shed this day as well. My sight has shown me many things, things that were, things that are, and some things that have not yet come to pass… Much toil will come upon this village, but Konoha will stand all the stronger if Fate does not break her."

Ibiki and Anko said nothing in answer. They knew already the truth in the Oracle's words, and had faith that their Rokudaime would lead them to a worthy future. The Golden Age that Naruto and seen in his visions before his death was one that generations of Konoha ninja had strived for, but never reached, and the closest it had ever come was the era from which they, Ibiki as Dorothy Catalonia, Anko as Relena Dorlain Peacecraft, Naruto as Quatre Raberba Winner, Heero Yuy, Trowa Barton, Duo Maxwell, and Wufei Chang had originally come from. Only in the AC Era had mankind come closest to the Golden Era of Peace that the Oracle had seen, and it had always been his greatest regret that he had not been able to lead Konoha to a similar time, even after Naruto had been reincarnated as Quatre R Winner.

"On this day," Naruto said grimly, "we fight. And with this, we shall open the doors to a Golden Era for Konoha."

"For the Golden Era of your dreams, Rokudaime-sama," Ibiki and Anko chorused, "We shall fight."

And three puffs of chakra smoke were blown away by a faint breeze to reveal a carved mountain empty of its former occupants.

* * *

Naruto entered the stadium in which the Tournament Exam was to be hosted, clad in a long-sleeved black shirt with a high mandarin collar over a thigh-length yukata with sleeves and a pair of black slacks. His hair, to the surprise of many, had been cropped short, and so stuck up in all directions in an unruly mess. His hair was kept out of his eyes by his hitae-ate, and to the older generation, there was no doubt that Uzumaki Naruto was indeed Kazama Arashi's son. The resemblance was irrefutable proof.

Shiranui Genma swept his eyes over the gathered genin and his eyes lingered longest on the cold visage of Uchiha Sasuke, who was shooting Naruto dirty looks.

'_So the so called Last Uchiha already knows who holds the most power in this village…' _the senbon chewing jounin thought morosely. _'Uchiha Sasuke who was predicted by the Oracle to be the means of his death… If the Oracle had not intervened on his behalf, the Council would have stripped him of his ninja status and sealed his ability to use chakra, and fettered him in the village as a means of breeding more Sharingan users. Of course, according to the Oracle, it is only Uchiha Sasuke who can kill Uchiha Itachi, and the Council is more than willing to allow Sasuke to remain a ninja for that sole purpose. Afterward however, is a completely different story…'_

"All right, look up there," he said tiredly, "You are the stars this time." Genma rolled his eyes skyward as if praying for patience as the more moody genin reluctantly stopped glaring at their opponents, and in the case of one Sabaku no Gaara, transferred his glare onto the proctor. _'Dammit, why the hell did Hayate choose now of all times to go missing?"_

Naruto rolled his eyes tiredly. There was nothing more he would like than for Orochimaru to drop dead where he stood while the invasion didn't take place at all.

"Well," Genma said, "The third Exam of the Chunnin Exam starts here. The rules are the same as in the preliminaries. The match is over when your opponent looses consciousness or dies. If I believe that a winner has already been determined, I will call the match. The first match is between Kazama Kazuki and Hyuuga Neji. Everyone else please go up to the participant's balcony."

Neji glared at the blonde in front of him as the other examinees went up to the balconies. It simply wasn't fair, the Hyuuga thought, that a dead last, a nobody would have such higher lineage than him. But it didn't matter. No matter what his lineage, Neji would prevail, fate had already determined it.

Naruto/Kazuki sighed and shifted into a relaxed stance, his arms crossed over his chest, and all his weight placed on his left leg.

"Start the match, Shiranui-san," Kazuki said, "There is no use waiting for banter between myself and the Hyuuga. I have nothing to say to those who disregard the Oracle's advice."

Genma sighed and said, "Very well, begin!" he dropped his hand and stepped back.

Neji blinked in surprise as Kazuki blurred and vanished. Neji activated his Byakugan just as Kazuki appeared behind him and the Hyuuga prodigy found himself falling forward. He scoffed and slapped a hand on the floor and flipped onto his feet, and turned to face where his opponent had come from, only to find the arena empty. Neji scanned the arena with the Byakugan, and when he found no one, he scoffed.

"The fool has run away," he said derisively.

In the stands, Hiashi resisted the urge to slap his forehead. Where had he gone wrong to raise a prodigy who would believe that he could defeat a Kazama, much less the Oracle of all people?

"What kind of prodigy is he?" Hanabi said derisively, "Does he honestly think a Kazama would leave a battle unfinished?"

No one in the stadium realized what the last Kazama had done until Neji crumbled to the floor, unconscious.

Naruto sighed and straightened. He cast a faintly regretful look aver at Neji and murmured, "Have a nice dream, Neji, and maybe when you wake, you will learn the truth behind your sorrow."

Genma grinned slightly and called, "Winner, Uzumaki Naruto!"

Naruto disappeared into the entrance leading up to the spectator balconies. Faintly, behind him, he could hear Genma calling out for the next match.

* * *

TBC...


	21. Drive

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Chapter 20: Drive

"The next match is between Nara Shikamaru and Uchiha Sasuke!" Genma called.

Naruto's lips curved slightly as he passed Sasuke on the stairway leading up to the competitor's balcony.

"Good luck Sasuke," he murmured.

Sasuke snorted derisively. "Keep your luck, dobe. I don't need it."

Naruto chuckled, "I suppose not. Nevertheless, Good luck."

Sasuke's only response was a slight shove against Naruto's side, pushing him towards the competitor's balcony. Naruto caught sight of the almost smile on Sasuke's face, and knew that in the end, the Uchiha appreciated his faith in his abilities.

* * *

Naruto, instead of making his way onto the competitor's balcony, made a left turn after he left the stairway. At the end of the hall, he made a right onto another stairway, and went up three flights, and turned right down a long hall, and turned right down a short hall that opened into the Hokage's Balcony. 

The Sandaime and the false Kazekage, looked up. Sarutobi's aged face split in a smile when he saw the Kazama.

"Ah, Kazuki-kun," Sarutobi said, "That was an excellent match. The use of the Shukuchi to get behind Neji-kun was inspirational."

"Indeed," the Kazekage said, "Your battle with the Hyuuga was like poetry in motion."

Naruto bowed and murmured, "I thank you for the compliment, Hokage-sama, Kazekage-sama. However, the Shukuchi's main use is to move to the point of best offense or defense in the split second when the opponent is not looking, to give the illusion of moving instantaneously. It is a speed based foot work exercise, and I simply used it to exploit Hyuuga-san's weakness."

"Modest and skilled, if all Konoha ninja are like you, Kazama-kun, then I can see why Konoha is among the strongest of the Hidden Villages," the Kazekage said silkily.

Naruto's eyes flashed briefly gold, and he lowered his eyes in feigned modesty and said quietly, "The strength of the Hidden Leaf lies in her ninja, and each ninja's strength varies, Kazekage-sama. One should not judge all other Konoha-nin by the actions of a Konoha genin, whatever their lineage."

"Well said, Kazuki-kun" Sarutobi said. "But I do believe, Kazekage-sama, that the second match is starting. Here are two of Konoha's most valued bloodlines, the Nara and the Uchiha. I'm sure they will show us a good fight."

"I look forward to it," said the Kazekage.

As the match below began, Naruto unobtrusively slipped out of the balcony and vanished in a puff of chakra smoke.

* * *

"Is everyone ready for a big fight?" Naruto asked as he slipped into the living room of his house. 

In the living room were the other four pilots, who were quickly loading guns, stuffing extra cartridges and full magazines into pockets and storage pouches and shoving guns and shuriken and kunai into holsters and throwing on the protective flack jackets and hitae-ate which, up till now, they rarely wore. Extra kunai and shuriken were being tossed at high speeds from one pilot to the next, until Naruto grabbed them out of the air before someone fumbled a throw or catch and got hurt, and tossed them onto the glass table that the four pilots were sitting around.

"I think we'll all have a hell of a time, Q-tra," Duo said cheerfully.

"It'll be nice to be in action again," Wufei said, "Assassinations and bodyguard missions are all good for staying sharp, but there's nothing like a full blown battle to test our capabilities."

"Preparations complete," Trowa said quietly as he stood up. "Pilot 03: mission ready."

"Pilot 05: Mission Ready," Wufei said, slinging his katana onto his back.

"Pilot 02: Mission Ready," Duo said after a while.

"Pilot 01: Mission Ready," Heero grunted, rising to his feet.

Naruto smiled slightly and said, "You all know where to go. Trowa, how's our guest?"

"He's fine," Trowa said shortly, "He won't be allowed to move too much lest he burst his stitches, and it would be best to evacuate him on the off chance that he's still unconscious if something happens to the house."

Naruto nodded. "My second match doesn't start for a while yet, so I'll take care of that. Good luck you guys."

The pilots nodded and filed past Naruto out of the living room and out of the house.

"Anko?" Naruto said softly, raising a hand to his ear.

"What is it, Naruto?"

"Is everything in place?"

"Yep. Ibiki's on the watchtower on the Eastern wall, and everything's clear so far."

"Are you free at the moment? We need to move Gekkyou Hayate-san just incase something happens to the house."

"You know, why didn't we think of that? We could have just taken him to the hospital last night after we stabilized him… Sit tight, I'll be there in a sec."

"Roger that, 04 out."

Naruto turned and walked toward the infirmary.

* * *

"Good morning, Hayate-san," a cool voice said as the door opened. "How are you feeling today?" 

Hayate turned his head toward the door and nodded slightly. "Good morning Naruto-kun," he said. "I feel fine, thank you."

Naruto smiled. "That's good. Unfortunately, the invasion will begin soon. We will be moving you into the shelters incase something were to happen to the house."

"I see," Hayate said, "I'm sorry about the trouble."

"It's no trouble, Hayate," a perky female voice said as the door opened a second time, "This is just the Oracle ensuring the future of the village."

"Don't say unnecessary things, Anko," Naruto chided, "Humans are not merely tools or pawns to be moved about on a chessboard."

"That's not the impression you're giving me," Anko replied.

Naruto rolled his eyes and said, "Let's just move Gekkyou-san to the manor under the Monument. Gaara-kun's match starts soon, and I'd rather not be here when the snake summons come through and crush the house."

"Wait, snake summons?" Hayate said, "You didn't say anything about the summons to the Sandaime!"

"Calm down," Naruto said, "and don't thrash about. You'll burst your stitches. The Sandaime and Jiraiya need to deal with Orochimaru. The summons will be taken care of by Soramaru."

"Soramaru?" Anko asked. "You mean the fox?"

"Yes."

Hayate blinked and realized that he was now in a wheelchair. Naruto grinned happily and said brightly, "Now for the real challenge! How do we get Hayate-san up the stairs?"

Anko sighed. "Hayate, do you think you can walk?"

* * *

Yugao and her team of ANBU were surprised to find the Oracle and Anko assisting Hayate, who had been missing since late last night through the village. The Oracle smiled. 

"Hayate-san was helping me prepare the village for the conflict that will take place soon, and I'm afraid he was injured rather severely. Will ANBU-san-tachi aid me in moving him to someplace safe where he can recover without the conflict aggravating and worsening his injuries?" Naruto said, his pale eyes gleaming knowingly.

"As the Oracle commands," Yugao said softly.

Naruto nodded and gave Hayate over to the care of the ANBU and departed, making all haste toward the Stadium before the second round began.

* * *

"Winner, Uchiha Sasuke!" 

Sarutobi glanced at the Competitor's Balcony as Uchiha Sasuke and Nara Shikamaru's match ended, and was faintly worried to see that Naruto, who had left the Hokage's Balcony at the beginning of the match, was still not there. Suddenly, a swirl of leaves appeared at the back of the Balcony, and Sarutobi breathed a sigh of relief as the leaves settled and faded to reveal Naruto.

"The next match is between Sabaku no Kankuro and Sabaku no Gaara!" Genma called.

Kankuro froze in shock. 'Oh hell, no,' he thought. He swallowed harshly and yelled, "I forfeit the match!"

Genma blinked and called, "Sabaku no Gaara is the Winner by forfeit!" This announcement was followed by angry boos from the audience. "The next match is between Sabaku no Temari and Aburame Shino!"

Temari scoffed and opened her fan as the crowd above booed and threw fruit and other projectiles. Well, if they wanted a match, she'd give them one to remember! Besides, how tough would the bug boy be?

As she rode her fan down into the arena, Temari couldn't help the feeling that something awas about to go terribly wrong….

* * *

Naruto stood wordlessly on the balcony and looked down as the match began. 

It wouldn't be long now, and the invasion would be underway…

* * *

Temari swung her fan, sending a heavy gust of wind toward Shino, who melted into a mass of bugs. The Sand kunoichi blinked and glanced off to the side, and her eyes widened to see a wave of kikkai bugs descend on her. 

She swung her fan, putting in as much chakra into the attack as possible, "Kamaitachi!"

The kikkai scattered and Temari blinked as she felt a wave of exhaustion take over. She looked down, feeling something on her legs, and the last thing she saw before she fell unconscious was a swarm of kikkai bugs on her legs…

"Winner," Genma called, "Aburame Shino! There will be a thirty minute intersession before the Second Round begins."

* * *

On the competitor's balcony, Naruto turned around and met Sasuke's dark eyes. 

The blonde smiled. "I guess we're up next huh?"

Sasuke smirked. "You're going down, dobe."

Naruto's smile widened and he said good naturedly, "In your dreams, bastard."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, the stands were buzzing in anticipation. 

It was among the most anticipated matches, a battle between the last survivor of the tragic Uchiha Clan and the last Kazama who also bore the blood of the Magami clan.

Naruto and Sasuke were in the hallway, staring at the door.

For the time being, they were friends, teammates, and rivals, but in a matter of moments, they would be opponents and enemies.

Then, at the end of the hallway that lead into the arena, they heard Genma call, "The second match of the Chunnin Exam Third Exam Tournament will now begin! The first match is between Kazama Kazuki and Uchiha Sasuke!"

* * *

The Eastern Gate was bustling with activity. Heero was a little over 500 yards away from the gate, hidden in a niche that was cloaked in a carefully crafted genjutsu set by Duo, who turned out to be a genjutsu type, which was hardly surprising, considering how the braided pilot seemed to be able to manipulate others into seeing and hearing exactly what he wanted them to hear. The Wing pilot was carefully checking over his equipment, listening as Duo and Wufei sniped at each other over the communicators. Trowa occasionally interjected with a dry comment whenever the Shenlong and Deathsycthe pilots said something that was anatomically impossible, even with the application of chakra. 

Chakra.

A mixture of physical and mental energy that allowed ninja to perform ninjutsu, genjutsu, and allowed one to manipulate things without actively touching it, and also could be used to heal and increase one's physical strength, thus increasing the damage inflicted by taijutsu …

It was not a concept that the Wing pilot accepted easily, for all that it gave a plausible reason as to how Quatre had periodically done things that even Heero himself had found near impossible to do. At first, he had thought that the Sandrock pilot had been like him, genetically enhanced, and while it was an acceptable idea, considering that all five Gundam Pilots had been genetically altered in some ways, Quatre had done with ease some things that should have been impossible, even for the genetically enhanced.

Well, it didn't really matter much anymore, Heero mused. Because here in the past, the Gundam Pilots were now learning more about the character of the elusive Sandrock pilot than they had in the few years that they had spent fighting and living together…

* * *

Duo slipped through the hallways scattered throughout the stadium, occasionally throwing insults through the communicator at Wufei with Trowa occasionally interjecting with a dry comment. The braided pilot had no doubt that Heero was listening in, and that Quatre---no, he was Naruto here, had his communicator off, as to not be distracted during his match. 

"Dammit," he whispered, carefully lowering the volume of his communicator, "I wanted to see Q-ball's match…" and quickly turned the volume back up.

He paused and flattened himself against the wall and peered around the corner.

"Ah, this is Zero Two, Target is in sight. Cutting communications now," he murmured.

There was a second of silence before the other pilots answered with a poorly synched, "Roger that Zero Two," and Duo turned off his radio…

* * *

Naruto and Sasuke walked side by side down the long hallway that eventually opened up into the stadium arena. The doorway seemed filled with light as the two approached it, and as they came closer to their destination, they could see clearly the arena and the damage done to it by other matches, and the proctor standing in the center. The two teens were calm, almost numb, with anticipation as they stepped into the arena amidst anticipatory roars from the audience. They split up as they reached the proctor, and turned to face one another from the span of three yards. 

Genma flicked his senbon from one side of him mouth to the other, and said, "Are you ready?"

Both boys gave a curt nod as they pulled out their kunai. Genma sighed.

"Alright. Begin!" and the jounin leapt back as the two boys flew toward each other, their kunai clashing with a metallic clang, as they flew apart, turned, and flung their kunai at each other. The kunai clashed, and flew off course as the two teens met once more in a flurry of punches and kicks…

* * *

TBC…….. **

* * *

**The Shukuchi is a speed based foot work exercise in which a person moves in the split second that their opponent either has their eyes closed or their head turned and are not watching them, giving the illusion of having moved instantaneously. The Shukuchi is the basic foot work for the Kazama Clan's Shinken Taijutsu Style. 


	22. Contention

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**Previously on Parallel…**

_Genma flicked his senbon from one side of him mouth to the other, and said, "Are you ready?"_

_Both boys gave a curt nod as they pulled out their kunai. Genma sighed._

"_Alright. Begin!" and the jounin leapt back as the two boys flew toward each other, their kunai clashing with a metallic clang, as they flew apart, turned, and flung their kunai at each other. The kunai clashed, and flew off course as the two teens met once more in a flurry of punches and kicks…_

Chapter 21: Contention

Naruto grinned at Sasuke as the Uchiha ducked under Naruto's leg only to find a fist barreling toward his face. Sasuke barely blocked the fist before it hit him, and flung out a handful of shuriken as he leapt back. Naruto shifted off to the side, and instantly blocked a kick and pushed aside the Uchiha's leg and darted forward.

* * *

Duo quickly attached the silencer to his gun, and took aim. Three Sound-nin died before their comrades realized what was going on. By the time the last five turned to face the door, they were dead.

"Well, mission complete," Duo said grinning, "Well… Then again… Not really…"

* * *

Sasuke had activated his Sharingan, and Naruto smiled calmly as his already pale eyes paled until only the faintest hint of color remained as the thin slit of gold in his eyes widened marginally so the golden slit pupil stood out in stark contrast. The two genin leapt apart, their kunai parting in a screech of metal and sparks, and the genin stood at different ends of the arena, staring at each other. Sasuke smirked and began forming hand seals. Naruto's smile widened slightly as his fingers twitched as he turned his palm away from his body and chakra began to swirl. In the audience, ninja who were familiar with the attacks stiffened and leaned forward in their seats. Down in the arena, Sasuke's chakra stabilized into lightening and the sound of birds chirping filled the air. Naruto's chakra began to rotate and compress until it was a fist sized ball of glowing chakra.

* * *

Kakashi frowned behind his mask.

"I know that Jiraiya was in Konoha," he muttered, "and I would have heard from him if he had taught Naruto the Rasengan… Come to think of it, why the hell are those two using A-class assassination techniques in the middle of a chunnin exam!"

Kotetsu and Izumo twisted in their seats to stare at the normally laid back jounin. They exchanged looks and muttered, "Good question…"

* * *

Somewhere in the stands, Jiraiya frowned.

"I know that the Yochigan would allow him to know of the Rasengan," the toad summoner murmured, "But how the hell did he learn how to use it?!"

* * *

Heero aimed his sniper rifle with care as he noted his target moving toward him. Prussian blue eyes narrowed in concentration as he carefully calculated the best possible moment to bring down his target without hitting a civilian by sheer accident. The Gundam Pilots were the only ones in Konoha to use a gun, so if a civilian was shot, then the bullet could easily be traced back to the pilots, especially if they considered the relation of the victim to the position of the sniper.

Ah ha… The target had entered an alleyway, and there was little chance of some innocent bystander somehow getting between the target and bullet… Heero's body tensed slightly as he pulled the trigger.

He watched as the body collapsed and nodded in satisfaction before relaxing, packing away and sealing away the rifle, and adjusted his uniform and the hitae-ate, dispelled the genjutsu, stood up, and moved across the rooftops to his next position.

* * *

As the two jutsu clashed, Naruto grinned happily.

"It seems the higher ups are a bit discomfited by our using A-class assassination jutsus on each other in a chunnin exam," the blonde called cheerfully over the screeching and chirping of the clashing jutsus.

"Why the hell are we using these jutsus on each other, by the way?" Sasuke asked.

Above them, the more advanced ninja sweatdropped. Why the hell would they use a certain jutsu in a certain situation if they don't know why they're using it?

"Because we're showing off! Duh!"

"Oh… Ok."

* * *

_This is taking much too long_, Orochimaru thought. He glanced at Sarutobi out the corner of his eyes. _If we don't act now, there won't be another chance to act._

He locked eyes with Kabuto in the stands and inclined his head slightly.

Kabuto pressed himself against the wall and put his hands together in a ram seal.

In the meantime, Orochimaru discreetly dropped a small dark colored object on the floor of the Hokage's Balcony.

* * *

The two combatants flew apart and as the chakra from their jutsus faded, they set themselves in a ready position once more. Neither Sasuke nor Naruto had moved when an explosion rocked through the stadium, drawing all eyes toward the Hokage's Balcony, from which a plume of smoke was issuing.

Someone yelled out, "Hokage-sama!"

There was a moment of shocked silence, and people in the stand started falling asleep. The more aware ninja quickly dispelled the genjutsu, and leapt into action as Sound and Sand-nin started appearing.

Naruto's eyes glows and his voice was dry, "Well, looks like our match is over."

Sasuke blinked. "What the fuck just happened?"

"Go pick up orders from Kakashi-sensei," Naruto snapped, "We're now under attack."

"What?" Sasuke glared, "Who are you to give me orders, dobe?"

"Don't argue with me," Naruto said, "If I have to push you to do as I say via genjutsu, I guarantee that it won't be pleasant. Go!"

Sasuke glared spitfire, and Genma dropped down.

"Your orders, Takusen-sama?" the jounin said.

"Send the genin to the Academy," Naruto snapped. "They will assist in the evacuation of the Ninja and Civilian Academy."

"Hai, Takusen-sama," Genma bowed and turned to Sasuke. "Come, Uchiha-kun."

Naruto shifted and vanished.

* * *

On the stadium roof, under an elaborate multilayer genjutsu laid by Duo, Trowa swiftly set up his sniper rifle and took aim. Naruto had marked his target already. He carefully pulled the trigger. An ANBU jerked and collapsed. Trowa set the safety on the rifle, slung the strap over the shoulders, and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

He reappeared on the balcony where the ANBU was. Trowa pulled out a kunai and swiftly decapitated the ANBU.

Behind him, Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma stared in shock. Trowa ignored them and pulled out a scroll and slapped the head into a seal. Once the smoke had dissipated, Trowa rolled up the scroll and shoved it into his pack and vanished in a puff of smoke.

* * *

The ANBU darted toward the Hokage, and fell back just as four Sound ninja dropped on to various parts of the roof. Just as the barrier came up, Naruto appeared beside the Sandaime, and as soon as the blonde materialized, the barrier was set up, and a hapless ANBU didn't move in time and made contact with the barrier and burst into flames.

* * *

"Hello, Kazuki-kun," Orochimaru said.

Naruto inclined his head slightly but said nothing. The golden slit in his eyes shrank and then grew again to reveal the seven pronged star that signified the active Yochigan.

"Orochimaru," Naruto's voice was dry.

"So you knew this entire time…" Orochimaru chuckled, "You would have been better off having the ANBU kill off my minions before the invasion started."

"At least this way," Naruto said calmly, "We have fewer problems to contend with."

"Indeed," Sandaime smiled weakly, "The Oracle is always working for the good of this village, and has decided that this is the best course."

"Sandaime, I believe that the time for talk has ended," Naruto said softly.

"Yes," Sarutobi said sadly, "Let us get on to the more important things then."

* * *

TBC...


	23. Invasion

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**Previously on Parallel…**

"_So you knew this entire time…" Orochimaru chuckled, "You would have been better off having the ANBU kill off my minions before the invasion started."_

"_At least this way," Naruto said calmly, "We have fewer problems to contend with."_

"_Indeed," Sandaime smiled weakly, "The Oracle is always working for the good of this village, and has decided that this is the best course."_

"_Sandaime, I believe that the time for talk has ended," Naruto said softly._

"

* * *

Chapter 22: The Invasion of Konoha

* * *

Duo slipped out of the stadium the moment the invasion began, and there was a faint crackle as Naruto's communicator came to life.

"You doing ok, 04?" Duo said quietly as a quiet grunt of pain came through.

"_Just peachy, 02."_ A brief moment of unintelligible blabbering, presumably from Orochimaru, immediately followed by a faint, _"You monster!"_ in the Sandaime's voice.

* * *

Naruto's eyes were sad as he watched Orochimaru perform Edo Tensei to resurrect the Shodai and Nidaime.

"How sad," he murmured, "To think that you would go this far for power… If you had only remained loyal to Konoha, and set aside your ambitions for more worldly dreams…. Then you would have been a good choice to be one of the privileged few in the Oracle's service…"

The Sandaime gave Naruto a surprised look. "What?"

"I will explain later," Naruto said gently, "first of all, we must stop your former student." Naruto lifted his hands and laced his fingers into the ram seal and closed his eyes.

"_Oh, thou bright flame cloaked in shadow_," he whispered, "_Open from ages past to ages present Fate's window, Be fire in silence burning, Be wind in forest roaring, Be water in ocean flowing, Be wood in hills growing, Be earth in hills rolling, Be lighting in sky striking, Spear tip silver glowing and wartime showing!_" Naruto's chakra roiled and danced and formed blue wings sprouting from his shoulder blades, the chakra pinions reaching to the sky, arching upwards over the blonde's head. His eyes snapped open, glowing gold as brightly glowing blood cascaded down his face, "_Past intruding upon the present, return from whence you came!_"

The chakra forming the wings shot forward and impaled the resurrected Shodai and Nidaime, and the two souls were forcibly ejected from the vessels. As the vessels fell forward, the souls of the Shodai and Nidaime gave Sarutobi and Naruto an apologetic look before fading away. The images of the Shodai and Nidaime fell to dust, revealing Kin and Zaku for a brief moment, their faces frozen by death in twin expressions of pain and terror before the two hapless genin's bodies crumpled away into dust as well. Naruto closed his eyes and stepped back.

"I've done all that I can to even the odds," he said calmly, "This is as far as I can physically change Fate's Tapestry. The rest, Sandaime-sama, is up to you."

"Of course," Sarutobi said as he settled into a ready stance. "I could not in good faith ask more of the Oracle when you've given up so much of your time for us."

Naruto smiled sadly as his Yochigan became a single golden slit against milky cerulean. "The Hokage of Konoha never asks more from the Oracle, even when it may mean the difference between life and death," he murmured. "But then again, if the Hokage was ever inclined to ask for more than what the Oracle is inclined to give, then Konoha would not have an Oracle to guide them. Good luck, Sandaime Hokage-sama."

* * *

Duo was only vaguely surprised to run into Trowa inside the stadium.

"Kabuto?"

Trowa nodded.

"Progress?"

"Enemy Command inside the stadium is down. The only ones left are the Sound Four and Orochimaru, and they are inside the barrier."

"We can intercept them later while they are trying to make their get away. 04 will make sure things don't get too far out of hand."

Duo nodded. The two pilots parted without another word.

* * *

Wufei was at the Eastern wall, and he was alternating between sniping at the enemy from the rooftops with his gun, to his kunai and shuriken. In the case of the giant snake summons, he just got the damn hell out of there, because he remembered that 04 had said that Jiraiya had simply dropped a giant frog on the snakes to get rid of them.

The Chinese pilot only wished that the reptiles weren't so damned

* * *

Naruto watched as the battle unfolded, and occasionally dodged away from a stray ninjutsu and knocked away the stray kunai or shuriken. The blonde never took his eyes off the Sandaime or Orochimaru, and outside the barrier, the ANBU watched as the Hokage fought his former student while the Oracle made no move to interfere, even when it became obvious that the Sandaime would not be able to defeat Orochimaru.

"_**Brat…"**_ the Kyuubi's voice thundered through his mind. _**"What do you think you're doing? I thought you came back to change things?"**_

"_I am constrained by he rules of Fate. I can't change anything else."_ Naruto thought.

"_**Boy!"**_ the Kyuubi roared, _**"You can't do anything if you think like that! You are a Jinchuuriki! The rules surrounding a Jinchuuriki are vastly different from the rules that bind Humans!"**_

"_I know what I can and cannot do!"_ Naruto yelled back._ "I'm only doing what my ancestors did!"_

"_**But none of them were Jinchuuriki! By following the rules set for a purely human Oracle, you're closing off the options given to you as one who has the hands of the Shinigami and a Demon Lord on them!"**_

"_I know what I can and cannot do!"_

"_**That's not the impression you're giving me. You said you wanted to come back to change things. Now you have the chance. Are you going to throw it all away?"**_

"_I'm not throwing anything away!"_

"_**You have the power to save the Sandaime. You have the power to protect Konoha and prevent this damage from getting too far. But all that power is useless if you don't use it,"**_ the Kyuubi's presence faded from Naruto's mind.

* * *

_Power…_

Ever since his first incarnation as Uzumaki Naruto, he had hated that word. It had been the thirst for _power_ that had moved Orochimaru to send the Kyuubi to Konoha. It had been the thirst for _power _that had driven the Uchiha Clan to their knees. It had been the thirst for _power_ that had Sasuke abandoning Konoha, that had led to the near downfall of the Shinobi Continent at the hands of the Akatsuki, that had taken from him all that he loved in his moment of triumph.

_Power…_

He loathed it.

It had been power that had driven the wars after the end of the Age of the Ninja. That thirst for power that had people fighting one another, the desire to be greater and stand above others that fueled the conflicts of the B.C. era, of the A.D. era, and of the A.C. era from which he had eventually made this journey back in time.

From the moment he had awoken his Yochigan, he had hated it, that ability o see what was to come. He had seen how the village had treated their bloodline wielders, and how many of them turned out, and had had no desire to become like them, and so kept his eyes a secret. He had not wanted to attract undue attention, had not wanted to die, because he had been sure that that would have been his fate if it had been discovered that he had the Yochigan. The people of Konoha, unwilling to admit that he, the village pariah was in anyway related to their precious Yondaime, would have killed him, and he, unwilling to take the lives of the villagers, even in his own defense, would have died. It would have been possible that Danzo, fearing that the Yochigan would reveal to the Godaime his attempt to take over, would have ordered his Ne ANBU to kill him.

Power drove all the evils in the world, and Naruto had only allowed the Sandaime to use his power because he had loved the old man so much. His power gained him the recognition of the village, recognition, not only as the Oracle, but as the last Kazama. Naruto detested his power, since it seemed as if no one could see anything but the seven pointed star and those bloody eyes that could pierce the veil of time.

But his power could be used to save, rather than simply destroying.

Right?

* * *

The Sandaime hit the ground with a harsh grunt.

Naruto pulled himself out of his thoughts. The sight of the Sandaime lying battered and bloody on the ground before him wiped away any doubts he may have had…

* * *

Duo was throwing fire jutsu at the Snake Summons with abandon while Heero and several other ninja made sure that the fires didn't spread while simultaneously fighting the enemy. Duo froze as a dark shadow loomed over him…

* * *

Blood sprayed into the air above the Hokage's Balcony before the horrified eyes of the watching Konoha-nin…

TBC…


	24. Defying Fate

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**Shadow Danser:** Wow! Are you psychic or something?! You're absolutely right! How did you know that the blood was Naruto's?!

**Previously on Parallel…**

_Duo was throwing fire jutsu at the Snake Summons with abandon while Heero and several other ninja made sure that the fires didn't spread while simultaneously fighting the enemy. Duo froze as a dark shadow loomed over him…_

_Blood sprayed into the air above the Hokage's Balcony before the horrified eyes of the watching Konoha-nin…_

Chapter 23: Defying Fate

"Naruto!" the Sandaime's aged voice cut through the air like a whip.

Red blood flew into the air, splashing onto Orochimaru's clothes, his sword, the roof tiles around them, and to Sarutobi's horror, onto his own aged face.

* * *

Orochimaru stared at the mop of golden hair that had suddenly appeared between his blade and the Sandaime. The figure shook as pained coughs racked its slender frame, and golden locks shifted as his head was raised, and pale cerulean eyes with the seven pronged star rotating gently as blood flowed from his eyes down whiskered cheeks rose to meet his shocked golden eyes. Naruto's face stretched in a feral smile.

"You didn't actually think that I would stand by and allow you to kill the Sandaime?" he said. "Power, Orochimaru, is everything, and the character of a person determines how it is used. Those who allow it to control them, people like you, Orochimaru, are those who are the weakest. You have no control, no technique, only brute force, ambition, and instinct. Against those who wield their power with control, technique, and strength in conjunction with their ambition and instinct, you are nothing more than an inferior entity that serves no other purpose but to make the strong stronger and the weak weaker."

Naruto's hands shook as he reached up and wrapped his bare hands around the naked blade imbedded in his chest. He turned his head slightly and smiled at the Sandaime.

"It is time, Sandaime, to end this. Send for Sasuke and have Kakashi break the barrier. One Chidori should be all it takes as long as he kills one of the Four in the process."

Sarutobi stared at the blonde as a terrible idea began to form in his mind.

"Naruto…"

Naruto's eyes hardened. "_Now_, Sandaime."

Sarutobi's eyes filled with tears as he made a hand signal to the ANBU. The ANBU Captain nodded and two ANBU leapt away, one toward the north, where the Ninja Academy was, and the other toward the jounin watching the spectacle in a nearby balcony.

Naruto turned his eyes back on Orochimaru. The Snake Sannin's eyes widened in horror and his grip on Kusanagi began to slacken.

Naruto's eyes narrowed and his chakra flared around him, forming the Emblem of the Oracle on the ground beneath him.

"Fourth Prong! Saigetsu!" he yelled.

Orochimaru, who had been in the process of releasing the sword and taking a step back, froze with one hand still on the sword, a foot still rising to take a step. Naruto's body shook with pain and the effort of stopping time, even on a small scale. Every breath he took was painful, and Naruto knew that he had to remove the blade or the poison would kill him before the Kyuubi could neutralize it.

Already, the demon had begun to force the increase in the production of red blood cells to replace what was lost while trying to neutralize the poison. Unfortunately, the poison was also seeping into his muscles and organs, eating away at the delicate tissue, and the Kyuubi was frantic to repair it all.

Naruto smiled wryly. He had predicted his death to come with the "Song of a Thousand Birds", but here he was, dying from the bite of the famed Kusanagi. Perhaps it was possible to change fate, after all…

Suddenly, a spike in chakra appeared outside the barrier. Naruto turned his head, and his eyes met with Kakashi's mismatched eyes. The jounin's face was impassive, but it was the emotions beside grief in Kakashi's eyes as he charged his chidori took the blonde's breath away.

Could it be that Kakashi had loved him all this time? Had he truly been so blind as to miss it, he who had been so desperate to change things? But in the end, nothing had changed hadn't it? This love would still end in despair…

* * *

The Sandaime stared as Naruto, still bearing the Yochigan, activated and used the different aspects of the eye, first to prevent Orochimaru from escaping, then to keep Kakashi's target in position. It was, perhaps the most that Naruto had ever used the All-Seeing-Eye since he had awakened the bloodline limit.

The sound of a Chidori being charged drew Sarutobi from his thoughts, and he turned to look at Kakashi. The emotions in those eyes startled the Sandaime, and he turned his head to look at Naruto, the youngest Oracle to ever grace Konoha's existence, and then understood. The old man lowered his eyes.

In exchange for his life, Naruto was giving up his own, and forsaking the one he loved most. The prophesy was falling into place…

* * *

Tayuya froze as she felt a surge of chakra behind her. She turned slowly and nearly panicked to find Hatake Kakashi behind her, charging a chidori. She prepared to leap into the air to evade the attack when a sudden pressure fell on her, smothering her chakra and will, holding her in place.

Tayuya and the other members of the Sound Four could only watch helplessly as Kakashi's Chidori cut open the barrier, and the jounin continued his path, driving the attack into Tayuya's chest.

* * *

The ANBU arrived with Uchiha Sasuke in a puff of smoke as Kakashi, sobbing with rage and grief, slashed a chidori through the Sound Four's Four Seasons Barrier, and rammed it into the Sound kunoichi's chest.

Without Tayuya, the technique faltered and fell, and the remaining Sound Four screamed in agony from the backlash as the sudden and improper release of the technique made the chakra turn on its users and burned and ate away at their bodies.

Sasuke stared at the battleground, the two figures, bound together, one as the aggressor, holding onto the blade that impaled the other, and the Sandaime, at the feet of the two. Time seemed to stop as the Uchiha recognized the blonde standing over the Sandaime, the tip of a katana sticking out of his back…

"Naruto!"

The blonde turned his head and lifted a hand and motioned for him.

"Go, Uchiha-san," the ANBU murmured, pushing him forward, "Don't keep Takusen-sama waiting."

* * *

Naruto smiled as Sasuke arrived beside him. "I will tell you a story, Sasuke, and at the end of it, I will leave you with a choice."

"Don't talk dobe," the Uchiha snapped, "we should get that blade out of you first."

"No," Naruto smiled sadly, "It is the fate of the Kazama to die either in battle, or by their own hand, and the fate of the Oracle especially, to die young. My Clan will never be revived, but the Uchiha Clan… The Uchiha Clan still has a chance. When we first became genin, you said you wanted to kill a certain man, your brother, who killed your entire clan but for you. I will now tell you the truth behind the massacre, and you will decide, who will you kill, one who knew that the massacre had been about to take place, but had said nothing, your brother who dealt justice to the Uchiha, the man who gave the order to your brother, or the person who made the Uchiha Massacre necessary."

"Dobe…"

Naruto stared hard at Sasuke, who finally nodded reluctantly.

Naruto nodded and said, "Uchiha Fugaku had always been a harsh man, and he raised his oldest son into a weapon. It was a bit of a mistake, since Uchiha Itachi came to hate his father for making him into a bloodied blade, and his mother for allowing it. He loved the Sandaime and his superior in the ANBU, who occasionally treated his like any other child his age, and later on, came to feel some affection for his mother when she gave birth to his younger brother, and stepped in to keep Fugaku from driving you along the same path. Out of the Uchiha, he loved you, Uchiha Mikoto, and Uchiha Shisui the most.

"One day, Shisui discovered something terrible, something that he brought to the attention of the Sandaime Hokage. For whatever reason, the entirety of the Uchiha Clan, but for you, had allied itself with Orochimaru, and were beginning preparations to rebel and destroy Konoha from within. The punishment for treachery is death, and the Sandaime gave the order to kill the adults. Itachi, then brought up a problem, several civilian Uchiha had the Sharingan, and how would they take care of all the children, especially the ones old enough to recognize their parents' killer? Also, the only way to combat a Sharingan is to have a Sharingan, and there were, at the time, only three Sharingan users already in the ninja force, who were loyal to the Hokage. They could not involve Hatake Kakashi, because not only was he a non-Uchiha, he had been charged with the safety and health of the Yondaime Hokage's only son, and the last bearer of the Yochigan.

"Shisui knew a way that even Itachi didn't, and told Itachi to kill him. The Sandaime, reluctantly allowed it, and Itachi, before the eyes of the Sandaime, reluctantly killed his best friend, and obtained the Mangekyou Sharingan. The Sandaime, then ordered Itachi to go forth and deal justice upon the Uchiha Clan for betrayal, sparing only the innocents, the children. He did so, but he had a kind heart, and so, if the child saw him, he killed them as well. The infants, he would leave alive, but for whatever reason, their parents slew them. By the end of the day, there were only two Uchiha remaining, when he had intended twenty. Then you came home, and he warned you from entering, and you entered anyway. With that, he had no choice, and took upon his shoulders, the entirety of the blame for the massacre of the Clan. Still weighted with guilt from his murder of children, he told you to become stronger, and then to seek him and kill him.

"As Uchiha Itachi left the village, he found the last Kazama waiting for him at the gates. He and the Oracle exchanged words, and Itachi pledged loyalty to Kazama Kazuki as an Anchor, and I pledged that if a chance came, I would tell you this story and leave you to your choice. With that done, Itachi departed Konoha, and was soon ranked as an S-Class nuke-nin of the Leaf."

Sasuke had gone stiff as Naruto recounted the night of the massacre. The ninja around them shifted, and many felt vague twinges of pity for Itachi, now that the details behind the massacre had come to light.

"Sasuke."

The Uchiha stared at the blonde, whose eyes were filled with sorrow. Sasuke took a deep breath and spoke in a shaky voice.

"I don't blame you. The massacre would have happened anyway, right? So you had nothing to do with it. I don't blame the Sandaime either, even though he gave the order, because it's the Hokage's duty to protect the village right? So there is no reason to blame him for doing his job. I… I can't blame Itachi either… He was only doing his job as an ANBU and a ninja of Konoha… I would blame my clan, but they're already dead… And Orochimaru is the real culprit, right?"

Naruto's eyes lowered toward the floor before he turned his head to face forward. "Yes. And here is Orochimaru now."

Sasuke stared at the immobile Sannin.

"I've frozen the time around and within him. If you would like to kill him, I can allow time inside him to start running again. He wouldn't be able to move, but he would know it as he dies."

"Fine, but I don't want to electrocute you, dobe."

Naruto's lips stretched in a rueful smile. "There's the problem isn't it? I can't feel my body anymore…"

Sasuke's eyes widened. That wasn't a good sign.

Naruto continued, "I've tried moving my arm, to take my hands off the blade, you know? But my body didn't move. But never mind that. Sandaime, Beware of Danzo and his Ne. In three years, his preparations will be complete, and he will move to take over Konoha. If he succeeds, Konoha will fall. Neither you nor your successors and afford to allow that man to live. That is my last word as Oracle."

There was a moment of shocked silence.

Then gentle hands landed on Naruto's shoulders, and gently tilted his head upward to look into a familiar pair of sorrowful mismatched eyes.

"Kakashi…" he breathed.

"You idiot," the jounin whispered as he carefully pulled Naruto off Kusanagi. Naruto smiled weakly, then realized that his was starting to loose sense of his chakra.

"Sasuke!" Naruto's voice cut through the air, "Deal with Orochimaru now! Hurry!"

Sasuke jumped and began forming seals before lowering his right hand and grabbing his wrist with his left. Electricity gathered in his hand and the sound of many birds could be heard as the Uchiha charged his own chidori. With a shout, the Uchiha surged forward, and his hand slammed the Chidori through Orochimaru's chest. Blood filled the air, and Orochimaru slumped toward the ground, his lifeless body slipping off Sasuke's blood coated arm.

"That," Sasuke spat toward the corpse, "was for my family and my brother."

The ninja around them clapped. Of the konoha-nin, however, only two were not celebrating.

Kakashi gave the Uchiha a watery smile. "Well done, Sasuke."

Sasuke shrugged, then said, "How's the dobe?"

Kakashi glanced at the blonde, whose eyes were half closed, the Yochigan fading into a hair thin slit of gold against a background of pale blue as the blonde lost control of his chakra.

"Naruto?!" Kakashi's voice suddenly took on a tone of urgency.

"I want to tell you something," Naruto suddenly said, "I wanted to tell you later on, since I thought that we had more time…" Naruto smiled. "I love you, Kakashi…"

Kakashi's eyes widened, and he gave the blonde a sad smile. "I love you too, Naruto.."

Naruto's smile turned sad. "I know," he said, and released a shuddering breath and his eyes closed and he fell still.

"No…" the word left cloth covered lips, "No, no, no, NO!"

Around them the Konoha-nin looked away, leaving the Copy-nin to grieve over his lost student, who in the last moments of his life became something more…

The Gundam Pilots knew the moment Naruto had died. They had begun fading out of existence, since it had only been Naruto's chakra that had allowed them to safely exist in that time…

Ibiki and Anko felt as though a light had been lost, and knew without a doubt that Konoha would never be the same again.

* * *

**owari**

**Totally Random Babbling… Or Not:** I told you that this wasn't your typical time-traveling story, didn't I? Well, there's only one chapter left! Please look forward to the epilogue!

_SanadaSayuri_


	25. Epilogue

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

Epilogue

Konohagakure no Sato in the heart of Fire Country was in mourning. The last of the Kazama Clan was gone, and there would never again be a blue eyed Oracle wandering the village, and guiding the Hidden Leaf through rough times. The Kazama Clan had finally fallen, and those who had lived through the previous Oracles suddenly felt defenseless, as though a long standing defense had suddenly vanished.

In many ways, it was the truth. Konoha had always had an Oracle to guide the village from the very moment of its founding. The Oracle Sorasmaru had met the Shodai Hokage through her distant kin, Uchiha Madara, and had guided him to build his village in its current position. Soramaru had become so besotted with the infant village, that she had settled in Konoha permanently, and started a family. Ever since then, Soramaru's children had lived and protected the village. By the power of the Oracle, Konoha had become one of the greatest Ninja Villages to ever exist, and now that the line of Oracles had broken…

Would the village fall without an Oracle? Konoha was entering its most difficult times. They were now to live without an Oracle. The Oracle, who had guided them, protected them…

* * *

Throughout the village, only one man did not grieve. Rather, he laughed and toasted Kazama Uzumaki Naruto Kazuki's name and gathered his forces to him. He never thought that the Oracle might have spoken of him in his last moments, and for Danzou, that would be his fall…

* * *

At the training ground seven, Zabuza and Haku stood before the Hero's Monument, and stared at the cenotaph. Ibiki and Anko arrived, both carrying a batch of lilies and they set the flowers at the monument. The two special jounin bowed their heads and rose to their feet. They nodded to Zabuza and Haku in acknowledgement and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

* * *

May 25, 195 AC 

Quatre glanced up as he walked, squinting his eyes against the noon-time sun's glare. He was unaware of the figure following him.

Suddenly, as he passed an alley, almost forgotten instincts flared, and Quatre made to leap away just as a dark figure leapt toward him. Unfortunately, it seemed as if the figure knew what he was thinking, shifted, and Quatre found an arm around his waist, and a gloved hand over his mouth as he was dragged bodily into the alleyway.

"Don't scream," a familiar voice said, "I just want to ask you a question."

The hand left his mouth, and Quatre took the chance to reply harshly, "You could have simply walked up to me to ask."

"But would you have listened to me, Uzumaki Naruto?"

Quatre stiffened. "Where did you hear that name?" he hissed.

"When I was twenty-six," the voice said, "I passed my first team of students. Six months later, I entered them into an exam that would promote them to the next level in military ranking. An invasion took place, and Uzumaki Naruto intercepted a fatal blow for our military leader, and later died in my arms just after confessing his feelings to me." The arm around his waist tightened.

"Ka-Kakashi?!" Quatre whispered, shocked.

Yes, Once I was known as Hatake Kakashi, now, I am Trieze Kushrenada."

"The leader of OZ…" Quatre breathed. He twisted in Trieze's arms and looked into ice blue eyes. His lips curved in a wry smile before he frowned. "How do you remember all of this? I remember it because I had the Yochigan, but you?"

"I'm not quite sure," Trieze admitted. He paused and his free hand lifted to tenderly trace Quatre's face. "What you said before you died…"

"I meant it," Quatre said.

Trieze smiled. "I'm glad. What we had, but never had a chance to share… I'd like to have that now, if possible."

Quatre smiled. "Live. Survive this war. And at the end of everything, we'll see."

Trieze frowned. "Why?"

Quatre's smiled became enigmatic and he leaned up to brush his lips against Trieze's. He moved away and murmured, "Because as of two months ago, I, Quatre Raberba Winner, became a soldier who opposes you in this war."

He leaned in, pressed his lips against Trieze's once more, pulled away, and vanished out of the alley and into the crowd.

Trieze stood there, his mind blank.

"Opposite sides…" his eyes filled with sorrow. "Naruto…"

* * *

Owari

* * *

**Totally Random Babbling… Or Not:** I told you that this wasn't your typical time-traveling story, didn't I? We've finally come to the end of Parallel. Every time a story is complete, there is always such a sense of satisfaction, especially if you were the one writing it, then you feel _good_ as if you've accomplished something wonderful. Thank you all for all your support for this story and I hope you all enjoyed reading it as I had writing it! 

I am now working on a sequel. Please look forward to Parallel Sureality.

_SanadaSayuri_


	26. Sequel Notice!

CSA Version 8ParallelEternity is Not What it Seems

Parallel

**Original Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots, and not just because of his Space Heart either. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the other Pilots discover exactly how little they actually know their beloved blonde. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

**New Summary:** Quatre has always known that he was different from the other Gundam Pilots. When seven familiar people arrive unexpectedly, the lives of the boys will never be the same again as Quatre, Dorothy, and Relena set out to undo the past and renew the future. GW/Naruto X-over KakaNaru 1x2 3x5 Implied Kaka04

* * *

**Totally Random Babbling… Or Not:** The Sequel of Parallel, one Parallel Surreality is now up...

Parallel Sureality

Summary: The Kazama Clan has fallen, and Kakashi is grieving for a love that was confessed far too late. When he finds a letter written to him by Naruto, he gets knocked out, and woke up as… something unexpected… (Will become a GW crossover in later chapters) KakaNaru Yaoi

_SanadaSayuri_


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